The government will settle all debts owing maize farmers who sold their produce to the National Food Reserve Agency by March 30, this year.
Addressing a public rally held at the CCM Grounds, Vwawa area, Mbozi District, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said that the government was determined to settle all debts.
“Here (Mbozi) the government owes farmers 21bn/- but we’ve already paid 4.5bn/- therefore we’ve debt of 16bn/- which will try to settle it by the end of this month” he explained.
The premier assured ‘wananchi’ that of not repeating the same mistake (of not paying in time) although there was a challenge of having enough storage facilities.
According to him, he went to Poland on the directive of President Jakaya Kikwete to address the issue and experts of Poland also came to Tanzania to see the situation.
“We’ve recommended storage facilities (SILOS) to be constructed in zones of Mbeya, Rukwa, Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Kilimanjaro and Shinyanga to cater for Lake Zone,” he elaborated.
Meanwhile, the Mbozi East Member of Parliament (MP) and Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Godfrey Zambi, stated that the government had already paid maize farmers 81bn/- and the remaining debt is 59bn/-.
”Up to the end of last year, we had paid 51.5bn/- and this year we’ve received 15bn/- from CRDB Bank and few days ago we’ve received another 15bn/ from Treasury.
The government directive is to settle all debts by the end of this month, I’m sure we’ll make it,” explained Mr Zambi.
He added that the government was addressing the problem of water facing Mbozi and its suburbs, through various government programmes.
