Minister Bahati says West Nile tobacco farmers to be paid ‘soon’

_________________

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has asked the trade ministry to expedite the process of compensating West Nile tobacco farmers.

This followed a complaint raised by Maracha County MP Denis Lee Oguzu.

The legislator informed the House chaired by Tayebwa that Parliament appropriated money to pay the farmers, which the finance ministry released in the second quarter of this financial year but that to date, the trade ministry has not paid them.

“I now have information that the ministry has halted the payment process," said Oguzu.

"Can the Ministry of Trade explain to the farmers why they have refused to pay them or when are you going to pay so that they don’t think you are going to disenfranchise them?"

In the 2018/2019 financial year, over 1,700 tobacco farmers in West Nile sold their tobacco to Continental Tobacco Company amounting to sh12 billion. However, the company only managed to pay about sh2.4 billion, leaving a balance of sh9.6 billion.

In the financial year 2023/2024, finance state minister (general duties) Henry Musasizi assured the farmers that their payment would be concluded in 2025.

'We apologize'

Fast forward to present day. Responding to Oguzu's concern, trade state minister David Bahati told Parliament that the farmers will be paid “soon”.

He admitted that the ministry received the resources to clear the compensation for the tobacco growers.

"We have completed the verification process and all the requirements we needed to pay the money, and the money will be paid soon," said Bahati.

"We do apologize that it has delayed but very, soon, it will be paid."

When Tayebwa asked the minister to explain the causes of delay, Bahati pointed to verification.

“The cause [of the delay] was to do with verification because we wanted to make sure that the person who received the funds is the one who is entitled to receive so that we don’t get into problems.”