03 Mar 2014

Three committees adjudicate and evaluate LIMID applications, the Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi has said.

Mr Molebatsi told Parliament on February 27 that the three committees were the District Economic Development Committee, Ministry LIMID Committee and the Appeals Committee.

He said the District Economic Development Committee considered and adjudicated applications for small stock, Tswana chicken, animal husbandry and fodder support applications.

Responding to a parliamentary question, Mr Molebatsi said the committee was chaired by the district commissioner and composed of the small stock officer, crop production officer, poultry officer, range management officer, veterinary officer, hides and skin officer and officers from Department of Youth and Culture.

The Ministry LIMID Committee, he said, comprised of the deputy director in the Department of Animal Production, who is the chairperson, the small stock officer, range management officer, projects coordinator, LIMID coordinator, poultry officer, Department of Agribusiness promotion officer and veterinary officer.

The committee adjudicates borehole drilling, borehole equipping, borehole or well purchase, water reticulation and poultry abattoirs and also co-opts an officer from the Department of Water Affairs when necessary, he said.

The last committee, the Appeals Committee considers all appeals and is chaired by the diirector of Animal Production and it comprises of Heads of Divisions and two representatives from Department of Veterinary Services and Agriculture Business promotions, said the assistant minister.

Parliament was also informed that if an applicant is not happy with the decision of the appeals committee he or she may appeal to the minister whose decision is final on the matter.

He also acknowledged that his ministry was aware that price variations often do occur due to some unforeseen circumstances such as casing of soil layers on further assessment by the driller.

“Where applicants have not exhausted their limits on borehole drilling, they are given extra funds to cover for such price variations as long as the limit of P120 000 per beneficiary is not exceeded,” he said.

Mr Molebatsi further said there had been price increases reported to the Ministry by the applicants after drilling of boreholes and these price increases were caused by different factors such as unexpected soil layers underground, increased borehole drilling depth and increased borehole casing.

MP for Kgalagadi North, Mr Phillip Khwae had asked the minister to state the composition of the boards that assess the LIMID borehole applications at District and Ministrial level, and whether there was an expert on drilling to guide the Boards to assess the quotations and advice both the boards and the applicants.

He had also wanted to know if the minister was aware that there has been price variation on further assessment by the driller, if so, what measures were in place to protect the applicants from these price variations of drillers and whether there has been any price increase reported to his office by the applicants. ENDS