Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margret Mwanakatwe says 13,000 direct jobs have been created through the value chain industrial clusters in the various project districts in the country.
The Minister has told Parliament in a ministerial statement today that her ministry will use the value chain clusters as a primary vehicle to facilitate rural industrialization.
Mrs Mwanakatwe says this is in line with the industrialization and job creation strategy of the PF government.
She has since implored Members of Parliament to hold government to account on the value chain clusters.
Mrs Mwanakatwe says under the value chain cluster development programme government is currently funding more than 1,700 projects countrywide with unprecedented outreach to rural areas, women and youths.
She states that value chain projects are being implemented in forty two districts targeting among others fish farming,beef,tourism facilities,poultry,dairy,rice,groundnuts,palm oil,cassava,mango, pineapple and honey value chains.
The Commerce Minister adds that over K53 million has been disbursed to various value chain projects in the period 2013 to 2014.