WINDHOEK – Agricultural Business Development Agency (Agribusdev), the government agency tasked with managing and supervising the green schemes program across the country, has been operating without a valid board since last year.
This was revealed during a stakeholders meeting memo seen by New Era.
According to the memo, a shareholder meeting attented by Minister of Public Enterprise Leon Jooste, his deputy Veikko Nekundi, Executive Director Annascy Mwanyangapo and her deputy Louse Shixwameni, Nekundi informed the meeting that the parastatal was currently operating without a valid board of directors since November 2018.
“In the absence of the board, the audit committee met but refused to normalise this situation,” reads the memo.
According to the memo, Nekundi also informed the meeting that the parastatal’s Managing Director Petrus Uugwanga has failed to call for a meeting to address “this very serious matter”.
Agribusdev is under a leadership of the board of directors comprising of members from various government institutions. Uugwanga is part of the board and reports to the same board on all organisational matters.
Other board members comprise of chairperson Sophia Kasheeta, her deputy Bertus Van Wyk and board members Desmond Tshikesho, Albertina-Taina Nankela, Josef Ihemba, Moses Munenge, and Frieda Nakanyala.
Agribusdev, as an agency manages the 11 green schemes and has been according to media reports underfunded for the last five years, leading to work at most projects at the green schemes screeching to a halt.
The agriculture ministry earlier this year announced that it will lease out seven of its 11 green schemes to the private sector after failing to sustain operations.
According to media reports, the agency received N$90 million between the 2014/15 and 2018/19 budget years.