Enumerators cry foul over unpaid K40 million

Malawian youths hired to conduct a survey concerning the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) have cried foul following non-payment of their money amounting to K40 million.

The 400 youth carried out the study last year through Centre for Agriculture Research and Development (CARD) but they are yet to receive their K100,000 each four months after the study was completed.

Malawi24 caught up with one enumerator and he said the organisation is yet to pay them despite receiving payment from the Ministry of Agriculture which financed the study.

According to the enumerator who did not want to be named, the survey was conducted in December last year and payments were supposed to be cleared by January this year.

“We finished survey on 10 December, last year and were told that we will be paid in a period of 40 days. We were assured by responsible officials that our payments will be made but until now nothing tangible is happening,” he said.

He further told Malawi24 that they don’t know the way forward on the matter but at some point CARD officials messaged Research Supervisors claiming that payments will be made by early February this year.

“We don’t know when we will receive our money but on 31st January, this year we received a text as if we will be paid by the first week of February but up to date we haven’t received any communication and we don’t know the future of our remuneration,” he told Malawi24.

The young man added that he is suspecting something fishy on the payments because CARD officials are also accusing the Ministry of Agriculture as the ones delaying the payment.

“CARD officials are accusing the Ministry of Agriculture for the delay of the money but we are not convinced with their responses,” he said.

“In the first place the CARD officials said that they are processing our payment and the claim that Ministry of Agriculture is responsible raises a lot of questions.”

Efforts to talk to CARD proved futile as their official did not answer our calls.