Govt committed to support citizen empowerment programs – Chikwanda

Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has restated government’s commitment to support programs targeted at citizen empowerment, especially for the youth, women and rural based entrepreneurs.

Mr. Chikwanda said this when Commerce Trade & Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe led a delegation from her Ministry for a presentation on the performance of the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission [CEEC], at the Ministry of Finance Headquarters in Lusaka today.

He says the PF government’s thrust is to empower state-owned institutions and, support poverty reducing empowerment programs.

Mr Chikwanda says in collaboration with the Lands Ministry and local authorities, the CEEC should be proactive in acquiring land for entrepreneurship clusters to ensure support to micro-small-medium-enterprises.

He notes that with such an approach, he is positive about the bright prospects for empowerment of the people, especially the women and the youth.

And Commerce Minister Margret Mwanakatwe reiterated the commitment of the government in ensuring that more citizens participated in the economy by strengthening the capacity of CEEC.

Ms Mwanakatwe says to maintain the highest standards of governance; one of the things being done is to urge beneficiaries to comply with lending terms so that the revolving capital stock is progressively grown for the benefit of other citizens.

In the medium term, the CEEC intends to create 60, 000 direct jobs by, among other routine processes, financially supporting fifty [50] special initiatives and [ten] 10 industrial clusters.

Meanwhile CEEC Chairperson Dr. Kasuka Mutukwa has said to authenticate the government’s plan to get more Zambians to participate in the economy, the capacity of CEEC needs to be scaled-up so that it continues to support the initiatives of Zambians who wish to own large economic franchises.

Dr Mutukwa says citizens must be supported in taking up opportunities offered by the Government in preferential procurements so that as much wealth as possible circulates among locals.

Finance Deputy Minister Christopher Mvunga, Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba, Commerce Trade & Industry Permanent Secretary Siazongo Siakalenge, Finance Permanent Secretaries Ronald Simwinga and Pamela Kabamba, CEEC Director General Likando Mukumbuta and other Senior Government and CEEC officials also attended the presentation.