Prison food supply woes eased

 FOOD supplies to prisoners in Buie-bi jail in Southern Highlands was restored last Friday after K129,000 was paid to its usual local supplier in Mendi.

The supplier had refused to supply food for the 125 prisoners earlier this month after Correctional Service Department did not settle outstanding payments for three months of last year and another three months this year.

Prison commander Supt Felix Namane said yesterday that the payments settled were for February, October and November last year and February to April of this year.

He said the jail still owed the same supplier K60,000 for fuel supply accumulated from last year.

Namane said the supplier had refused to give them any more fuel and they had to buy it from own money to transport prisoners to and from court and for administration runs.

He said soon after the outstanding payments were made last week, they received normal food supply.

“We are not cutting down the food rations this time, we are feeding the 133 prisoners normally, like in the past,” he said.

He said the short term arrangement they had with the local farmers to supply bags of kaukau two weeks ago when the jail faced acute food shortage would be sorted out.

Namane said invoices totalling about K2000 was sent to the headquarters to process payments for 

the farmers.

“I want to thank acting Correctional Service Commissioner Michael Waipo for responding quickly to our call to arrange the outstanding payments quickly,” he said.

“I want to call on the commissioner to sack incompetent officers at the headquarters sitting on the invoices.”