Swindled farmers pledge to sue the ministry and a bank

Official documents, to which Echourouk received a copy, sent to the agriculture, justice and finance ministries by the Young Agronomists Union laid bare gross frauds against 1997 farmers out of 3000 beneficiaries from the ministry’s developing plan to overhaul the sector.

• The victims shouldered the agriculture minister the responsibility for supervising the plan in conjunction with Essalm bank over “ gross financial irregularities during the execution of the program” .
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• As a matter of fact, the provision 14 of the ministerial ordinance stipulates “ that the beneficiaries are not concerned with the interest rates”. The provision 7 of the agreement struck between the beneficiaries and Essalam bank mentions 0% interest rate .
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• On account of this, the agronomists have called on the president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, to intervene in a bid to settle their situation towards the agriculture ministry that counted them out from the presidential decision to write off their debts and stop the judicial proceedings against them.
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• To recall, the agriculture ministry had struck a deal with Essalam bank in 2004 over 4.5 % interest rate. The bank has informed the beneficiaries about the rate in 2005 and started sending to each one of them receipts.
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• Amazingly enough, the bank summoned the beneficiaries to pay the sum of three years in a row on the basis of 35.35 % interest rate and 2% of rate penalties, declining to forward further explanations about the procedure.
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• On of the Union’s member has indicated to Echourok that a meeting will be held today in the province of Tizi Ouzou, 100 KMS east of Algiers, and will bring together nearly 2000 farmers to discuss their case and file a suit against the ministry and Essalm bank
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