Govt to use fingerprint technology in Fisp

Malawi President Peter Mutharika said on Monday his administration will abolish the coupon system of identifying beneficiaries in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (Fisp).

Mutharika, in his inaugural speech, said in the next agricultural season, government will introduce a finger print system that will only give opportunity to the targeted beneficiary to access the cheap farm inputs.

“There are a lot more programmes that the Democratic Progress Party [DPP] will carry over and among some of those programmes is the farm input subsidy programme. However, let me say that there will be a slight change in the way we run the programme by abolishing the coupon system that did not benefit poor Malawians.

“The system will be electronic and what will happen is that once recorded anyone trying to engage in the malpractice will be rejected by the system,” explained Mutharika.

He hinted that he will not take a softer line for those trying to steal fertiliser meant for the poor.

“Nthawi yokuba yatha tsopano” [Time is over for thieves], expressed Mutharika.

The Malawi leader also disclosed government’s plans to invest in the green belt initiative to allow the country produce more than enough food.

Mutharika then appealed to Malawians to collectively work together to ensure successful implementations of the programme.

During the last growing season, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security introduced a tracking system which was aimed at monitoring transporters who were fond of diverting fertiliser to unnecessary routes.