MP: Monitor agriculture funds

 KAIRUKU-Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo, pictured, has urged the Government to make sure funds allocated to agriculture are used wisely.

He is concerned that no one has been held accountable for the misuse of the K100 million allocated to the National Agriculture Development Programme by the Somare government. 

Isoaimo told the people during the World Food Day celebrations at Bereina in Central last week to do away with paper farmers. 

The Food Day 2015 theme was  “social protection and agriculture”. 

 It aimed at highlighting the role families play in helping each other in agriculture – growing food for domestic consumption and the markets.

Isoaimo said: “We want to ignore paper farmers. 

“In the last term of (the Somare) government, so much money was funded under agriculture to the tune of K100 million.

“Where did it go? 

“It ended up with paper farmers who have nothing better to do than deceive the people of Papua New Guinea.

“To date no audit has taken place, nobody has been held accountable,” he said. 

He was responding to the K1 million credit facility set up by Central Governor Kila Haoda with May Bank for people to access for small businesses and agricultural activities. 

He advised the people to be “reasonable” with their funding applications considering that the farms will be small.