Weekend Standard: 22/04/2006" By Suranga Gamage
More than sixty percent of the low income mothers who had been recommended by doctors to receive the nutritional supplement, Thriposha had failed to obtain the product in 2004 as the programme did not produce the required quantity, an audit report reveals.
According to the report only 4,465 MT of Thriposha out of required 10,440 MT was produced mainly due to lack of machine capacity as only 5,542 machine hours had been utilised while the requirement was 19,220 machine hours.
Due to the shortcomings in the production process some stocks of Thriposha had to be re processed resulting in non Distribution of Thriposha in November 2004, the report said.
The Thriposha Programme was managed by the Co-operative American Remittance Anywhere (CARE) prior to 1987 and thereafter it was entrusted to a private company.
Under the budget 2004, the government had allocated Rs. 570 million as recurrent expenditure and Rs. 80 million capital expenditure to the Thriposha programme.
A total sum of Rs. 9.7 million had been paid to the management company in 2004, which includes salaries, fixed management fee and distribution charges.
The report further said that even though it was expected that the Soya beans, which is the main ingredient to be purchased locally, more than 95% of the total Soya bean requirement was imported even exceeding the prices approved by the Cabinet Approved Tender Board.
More than sixty percent of the low income mothers who had been recommended by doctors to receive the nutritional supplement, Thriposha had failed to obtain the product in 2004 as the programme did not produce the required quantity, an audit report reveals.
According to the report only 4,465 MT of Thriposha out of required 10,440 MT was produced mainly due to lack of machine capacity as only 5,542 machine hours had been utilised while the requirement was 19,220 machine hours.
Due to the shortcomings in the production process some stocks of Thriposha had to be re processed resulting in non Distribution of Thriposha in November 2004, the report said.
The Thriposha Programme was managed by the Co-operative American Remittance Anywhere (CARE) prior to 1987 and thereafter it was entrusted to a private company.
Under the budget 2004, the government had allocated Rs. 570 million as recurrent expenditure and Rs. 80 million capital expenditure to the Thriposha programme.
A total sum of Rs. 9.7 million had been paid to the management company in 2004, which includes salaries, fixed management fee and distribution charges.
The report further said that even though it was expected that the Soya beans, which is the main ingredient to be purchased locally, more than 95% of the total Soya bean requirement was imported even exceeding the prices approved by the Cabinet Approved Tender Board.
