All expenditures on the Locust Emergency and Food Security Project will be met by borrowing $200 million from the World Bank, which will add to the country’s already high foreign debt. The food ministry neither conducted feasibility study nor secured budget allocation, though it had been preparing the project much before presentation of the budget. “The Ministry of National Food Security has not yet complied with requirements stipulated by the CDWP,” said the Ecnec summary. To a question about start of the aircraft procurement process even before approval of the project, the ministry said the aircraft procurement process was initiated by the National Locust Control Centre (NLCC) with consent of the prime minister during the national locust emergency. The food ministry said the total recurring operational cost of the project will be Rs800 million after completion of the project.

Source: The Express Tribune October 07, 2020 03:22 UTC