16:37 - 26.09.2025

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September 26, Fineko/abc.az. The Agency for Agrarian Services has inefficiently spent public funds.

ABC.AZ informs that according to Accounts Chamber’s audit, the effective use of public funds in the procurement of the Agency for Agrarian Services under the Ministry of Agriculture was not ensured.

The report notes that in 2023, the agency purchased 51,949 sets of pheromone traps from Costa Rica for about 1.67 million manats. The price of the kit is set at 32.13 manats, which does not meet market conditions. Despite the fact that these traps have been in use for almost two years, they have not passed government tests and have not been registered.

As a result of the audit, it was found that by the beginning of 2025, more than 35,000 sets remained in the warehouse unused and subject to wear. This led to inefficient spending of public funds in the amount of approx. 1 million manats.

In addition, it became clear from the documents that the hanging of pheromone traps was not performed in accordance with risk-based approaches. Despite the fact that pests are mainly observed in the northern and northwestern regions, traps will be installed in almost all regions in 2024. In some cases, the registration of farms was not carried out officially.

The Accounts Chamber regarded these facts as incorrect forecasting of public funds, unrealistic assessment of demand and inability to apply optimal approaches to procurement procedures. Based on the results, the board decided to eliminate the shortcomings, reimburse unnecessary expenses and inform the relevant authorities.