Gov’t bails out SORWATOM

The government has intervened in a standoff between tomato farmers and the tomato processing plant, SORWATOM, by agreeing to pay outstanding debt owed to the suppliers. The tomato suppliers, who spent eight months without any pay, will receive Rwf330 million after Government reached an agreement with the shareholders of SORWATOM and ACCESS Bank, early this week. The company was unable to pay the farmers, who are grouped into 17 cooperative societies, representing close to 3,000 households.