Agri ministry new custodian of green schemes
The agriculture ministry will from now on oversee the workings of the country’s lucrative but underutilised green scheme projects, with plans to create a fully-fledged employment structure within the ministry at an advanced stage.
This comes following a decision taken last year to place the Agricultural Business Development Agency (Agribusdev), which was responsible for managing green schemes, under liquidation.
Agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein revealed this when he recently gave an update regarding the future of Agribusdev’s employees, a majority who agreed to join the ministry in the run-up to the company’s liquidation.
“The initial plan was to integrate the Agribusdev staff into the existing structure of the ministry of agriculture; however, there is a need to create a new permanent structure that will oversee the implementation of the green scheme projects in the country,” Schlettwein said.
Next steps
The agriculture ministry is now engaged in negotiations with employees of the entity who opted not to become civil servants, while approval for the new structure to oversee the green schemes was submitted to the Public Service Commission.
“Negotiations are still ongoing with those employees who did not accept the offers. The structure in which the employees will be placed is in the process of being developed and is expected to be submitted to the Public Service Commission for approval by the end of October 2023,” Schlettwein said.
A total of 32 employees of Agribusdev will be integrated into the ministry once the structure has been approved by the Public Service Commission, Schlettwein explained.
“At this point, I am not in a position to provide the exact date for completion of the integration until the new structure is approved,” he said.
Failed management
Agribusdev was established in 2011 to monitor and create an ideal environment for achieving the objectives of the green schemes, as defined by the green scheme policy of 2008.
Agribusdev was in charge of 11 green-scheme projects established by government. These included the Etunda, Hardap, Kalimbeza, Mashare, Musese, Ndonga Linena, Orange River, Shadikongoro, Shitemo, Sikondo and Uvhungu-Vhungu irrigation farms.
It failed to manage the green schemes over the years.
This comes following a decision taken last year to place the Agricultural Business Development Agency (Agribusdev), which was responsible for managing green schemes, under liquidation.
Agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein revealed this when he recently gave an update regarding the future of Agribusdev’s employees, a majority who agreed to join the ministry in the run-up to the company’s liquidation.
“The initial plan was to integrate the Agribusdev staff into the existing structure of the ministry of agriculture; however, there is a need to create a new permanent structure that will oversee the implementation of the green scheme projects in the country,” Schlettwein said.
Next steps
The agriculture ministry is now engaged in negotiations with employees of the entity who opted not to become civil servants, while approval for the new structure to oversee the green schemes was submitted to the Public Service Commission.
“Negotiations are still ongoing with those employees who did not accept the offers. The structure in which the employees will be placed is in the process of being developed and is expected to be submitted to the Public Service Commission for approval by the end of October 2023,” Schlettwein said.
A total of 32 employees of Agribusdev will be integrated into the ministry once the structure has been approved by the Public Service Commission, Schlettwein explained.
“At this point, I am not in a position to provide the exact date for completion of the integration until the new structure is approved,” he said.
Failed management
Agribusdev was established in 2011 to monitor and create an ideal environment for achieving the objectives of the green schemes, as defined by the green scheme policy of 2008.
Agribusdev was in charge of 11 green-scheme projects established by government. These included the Etunda, Hardap, Kalimbeza, Mashare, Musese, Ndonga Linena, Orange River, Shadikongoro, Shitemo, Sikondo and Uvhungu-Vhungu irrigation farms.
It failed to manage the green schemes over the years.
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