Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti has criticised the government’s decision to fund the Winter Wheat farming programme when the country is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.
Biti suggests that the money should have been used to fund the fight against the virus that has so far killed three people in the country. He said:
The regime which has just disbursed $2.7 billion on Command Wheat can’t build decent infrastructure for our people.
It is failing to provide PPE (personal protective equipment) to respondents and has so far failed to buy a single test. The regime must wake up from its slumber, provide stimulus safety nets, test, track, isolate and treat people for coronavirus.
His remarks also come amid reports that the government misused US$3 billion that was meant for Command Agriculture, a programme the government was implementing through energy giants Sakunda Holdings.
The government, however, refutes the claims although there are no tangible results to show on how the alleged money was used.
Analysts say that if the US$3 billion in question was put to good use, the country would have averted the shortage of commodities such as mealie-meal and wheat.
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