Times Of Swaziland: PAC DIVIDED OVER FINCLUDE PROJECT

PAC DIVIDED OVER FINCLUDE PROJECT
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Nonduduzo Kunene on 29/08/2024 08:59:00


LOBAMBA – The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is divided over the visibility
and effectiveness of the Financial Inclusion and Cluster Development (FINCLUDE)
Project.
FINCLUDE is a government unit that aims to improve the prosperity and resilience
of local smallholders and micro-entrepreneurs through increasingly profitable
and resilient links to markets.The division came after a query that was raised
by Matsanjeni South Member of Parliament (MP), Sabelo Ndlangamandla, who
questioned the input of FINCLUDE in the country and why it is under the Ministry
of Finance. The MP said he strongly felt that FINCLUDE should be under the
Ministry of Agriculture. The MP’s question was brought about by an audit query
that was raised by the auditor general, in his audits of the financial year that
ended March 31, 2022. The audit showed that an over E11 million unappropriated
budget was utilised by the entity in one of its projects.“Why is FINCLUDE
under the Ministry of Finance because it is a big player in the agriculture
sector? “How many emaSwati are assisted through FINCLUDE?” he wondered.
access
FINCLUDE Senior Finance Officer Nakekelo Ginindza explained that the entity was
big on access to finance and access to markets, hence it was under the Ministry
of Finance.
“FINCLUDE works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture,” she said.Despite
the explanation by the officer, Ndlangamandla, among other MPs who are members
of the PAC, said they had stated that FINCLUDE was not visible on the ground,
but in hotels. The MP added that FINCLUDE was also big on feeding farmers with
delicious meals, but not big on capacitating and assisting small farmers.The PAC
Vice Chairperson and Nhlambeni MP, Manzi Zwane, also shared the same sentiments
as Ndlangamandla and raised concerns about the constant absenteeism of the
FINCLUDE chief executive officer (CEO).
Zwane added that when the Ministry of Finance was before the PAC before
yesterday’s session, the CEO left in the middle of the session. “We need the
CEO to respond to the questions we have about FINCLUDE,” he said. The PAC
chairperson urged Ginindza to pick one of FINCLUDE’s success stories. However,
the officer said she would need to compile a report.
Most of the MPs seemed to agree with each other about FINCLUDE’s visibility
and effectiveness until Kubuta MP Masiphula Mamba differed from the other MPs.
visit
Mamba told the PAC that if they wanted to see FINCLUDE’s success stories they
should visit his constituency to see how the entity assisted farmers.Dvokodvweni
MP Sifiso Shabalala also stated that FINCLUDE also assisted some farmers in his
constituency.The other MPs stated that these two MPs were the only ones who
could share some success stories about FINCLUDE, but maintained that they needed
more convincing.