It’s not Govt responsibility to create jobs – Shamenda

Government says it is not its responsibility to create jobs for the people in the country.

Speaking when he officiated at the Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) 49th annual general meeting in Lusaka today, Labour and Social security Minister Fackson Shamenda says government only offers cooperate services to create an enabling environment in which companies should be able to grow.

Mr. Shamenda says jobs should be created by the private sector.

He says the private sector is supposed to be engaging government on policies to help them create jobs for the people of Zambia considering that Zambia is a private sector driven economy.

Mr Shamenda says people should not make an issue out of the employment freeze on the public service sector, but that instead the private sector and others are supposed to be celebrating because the country needs an efficient civil service to serve the people better and not to be looking to government to create jobs.

Mr. Shamenda has however stated that government under leadership of President Edgar Lungu has put in place a number of strategies for developing the country as well as fast tracking the creation of jobs.

And speaking earlier, ZFE President Tyson Chisambo says ZFE remains committed to playing its part in the development of the country especially with regards to the creation of jobs as stipulated in the industrialization and creation job strategy.

And Mr. Chisambo has since commended President Edgar Lungu for listening to the concerns of the private sector on the new mining tax regime which was introduced by the government in the 2015 national budget.

He says ZFE is delighted with the President’s directive for changes to be effected to the mineral royalty tax because they feel that the new tax regime has had a huge impact on the economic fundamentals this far.

And the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President Nkole Chishimba has called on the federation of employers to ensure that employers acknowledge and appreciate the principals of freedom of association because it has been a source of conflict at many work places.