EDITORIAL: That the World Bank was forced to shut down its $200 million locust emergency and food security (Leaf) project, because performance was “highly unsatisfactory”, is very disappointing, no doubt, but still not entirely surprising.
We have, after all, become only too used to the government’s way of doing things, especially tackling emergencies, over the years. And that, just as the World Bank put it this time, has almost always been highly unsatisfactory — regardless of the party in power at any time.
Farmers, at least, would not have forgotten that this loan was approved when an unprecedented locust attack was devastating their fields and livelihoods, and one reason it grew out of control was the prevalent policy paralysis primarily because the PTI government in the centre simply didn’t care for the PPP government in Sindh and refused to entertain its pleas for emergency help.
It’s not hard to imagine those farmers’ reaction as the project was not implemented at all, beyond the usual job lotteries of course, and now an opportunity to utilise $200 million of aid gifted to the government has been wasted. It’s also pretty easy to understand just how vulnerable the country is to another locust attack, especially when the agriculture sector is facing all sorts of threats; especially rapidly growing water scarcity.
It also turns out that a good 86 entomologists were appointed for this project in the department of plant protection (DPP) — who, going by new reports, did nothing yet drew salaries — and the way their services were terminated, only verbally and without due process, has led to another headache for the government.
The employees seem determined to invoke the Supreme Court’s order about protection of interests of contract employees to pocket yet more free money. But since no project activities ever commenced and the said funds were not disbursed, there’s no money to give them for work that did not and shall not ever happen.
Some reports will of course be exchanged between the government and the World Bank, but this particular breakdown requires extraordinary investigation and action. How could it be that such an important arrangement was made with such an important international financial institution (IFI) and then no work was done on it? Are the government’s ministries, especially those that deal with such crucial sectors and issues, really this incompetent and inefficient? And can the government really do nothing but sit and watch as tale after tale of such inexcusable and unacceptable negligence emerges?
The country, especially its farming community, expects a very thorough and transparent investigation into this embarrassment; one that makes sure that heads roll where they must. We also expect a very clear plan of action to deal with the next locust outbreak. Last time farmers could do no better than just stand in locust-infested fields and beat drums to try and scare the pests away – an ancient remedy that did not work this time either. What are they expected to do next time?
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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