Friday, September 20, 2024

Govt defends its rigidity with the CEEF

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CHOMA District Commissioner Laiven Apuleni has defended government against accusations of rigidity in the approval and disbursement of money to applicants under the Citizenship Economic Empowered Fund (CEEF).
Mr. Apuleni says government is just being cautious to ensure that the history of poor repayment that had characterized similar empowerment programmes in the past did not occur.
He was speaking in Choma yesterday when he opened a two weeks training programme in bricklaying and entrepreneurship organized by Choma trades institute.

Mr. Apuleni said government is cognizant of the setbacks in previous empowerment schemes which had failed to achieve their intended purpose as beneficiaries abused the facility by failing to pay back.

He said government would want to ensure that beneficiaries of funds under the CEEF are those with capacity to pay back.

Mr Apuleni encouraged business persons wishing to access the fund to come up with partnerships that will formulate business project proposals that can attract funding.

And Mr. Apuleni has bemoaned the shortage of adequate skilled personnel to work in the booming construction in the country.
Mr Apuleni said it is government’s desire that more people acquire necessary skills so as to effectively compete for jobs in the construction industry.

He said government through the ministry of science and technology has devised a policy that will provide short intensive courses to empower Zambians with the needed skills in the construction sector.
Mr Apuleni noted that there has been an increase in construction activities due to the prudent economic policies of the MMD Government.

He said it would not argue well for foreign investors to import human resource when Zambians are able to offer similar skills.

Mr Apuleni commended Choma Trades Institute for designing a course and seeking funding from the Technical Education Vocational and Entrepreneurship training Authority (TEVETA) in bricklaying targeting members of the local community.

He also commended TEVETA for the for the financial support saying this was testimony of government’s good policies intended to empower its citizens with skills.

The DC said the course is in line with government policy to encourage and provide for citizens to actively participate in economic development through enterprise development and self employment.

Under the TEVETA support, the institute will train 40 local people in brick laying and entrepreneurship skills.

Speaking earlier, Choma Trades Institute principal Tom Kampamba said the provision of free skills in brick laying and entrepreneurship to the 22 participants is one way government intends empower its citizens.
He disclosed that additional funds have also been secured from TEVEA to train women of Masuku area in Choma in tailoring and also another group of women in Kazungula district would be empowered with bee keeping skills.
ZANIS/CM/MKM/ENDS

70 COMMENTS

  1. I wonder when GRZ will stop ‘all the talk.’ We need action! We are tired and sick of the same ol’same…. 😕

  2. The question is who has benefited?Where things are clean and clear the gov don need to defend themselves.
    Which citizen can claim having got abcd from CEEC and are now doing something for their projects?

  3. There is lack of seriousness in this government including the President himself. they are running the government like a kantemba where there is no system. shame on them!

  4. Goodmorning Baby C, Zoe, Rashid, Cutey/Wifey!, Mwiza & the rest. Nice to see you this morning, now let me read the story:)

  5. Guten Morgen Baby C, gut geschlafen? What happened over the weekend, I heard you were low yesterday.
    Rashid, I’m good, let me just get myself a ~o)…I’ll join you soon.

  6. Fin then tell us how many people have benefited from CEEF if not your relatives only and those who were able to brib you chaps.

  7. Whats the ‘beef’ kanshi? i thought its our money! tax payers Money! Stop akaso because we work hard for it and its high time you started plowing back to the community without so much fuss! You like :-@too much at the expense of the poor.

  8. Nine Chale

    Gut geschlafen , danke! My Chi young brother bashed my car! It was exetensively damaged! I still feel like :-t him.

  9. I think the idead behind CEEF is a good one. Citizens need empowerement, they say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

  10. This chap Apuleni is just small fish and knows nothing how GRZ. He should just wait for his monthly wages instead of opening his mouth. Tommorow if the president castigates officials at CEEF this Apuleni will be the first to support the president forgetting that yesterday he was defending theCEEF

  11. Is Apuleni a Zambian name & what tribe is that,it’s the first time am hearing of such a name infact even his first name sounds a lil bit weird.

  12. Baby C, sorry about that ordeal. My dad used to say young men & fast cars don’t mix. Anyhow, I hope he came out unhurt.

  13. “MR Apauleni has bemoaned the shortage of adequate skilled personnel to work in the booming construction in the country”.

    This is a lie. The last time I checked we had a lot of trades schools and catholics were running programmes training the youth in such. Unless things have changed.

    As for the booming construction, well you are right I saw those “structures” in Lusaka
    :d

  14. Ati shani mwelupwa lwa pa blogg. Good to see most of you are okey. Baby C, sorry about your car, but do spare your bro, am sure he regrets. Hope he is fine. Marworld uli kwi? greetings to you.

  15. 3RqU,BABYC,MATWOERLD,NINE CHALE,JAMACO,ZOE,BA MOZE RASHID JONES AND ALL BLOGGERS.
    HAPPY TUESDFAY HOPE YOU ARE ALL WELL.STAY BLESSED. :x:x

  16. Some bloggers jus appear wen there is Satas’ issue.Poem start flowing like no mans business.Wne there is sumthing different ni zee.

  17. In my opinion it is correct to be as strict as possible with the funds that are supposed to be given to qualifying applicants. It all has to be paid back. And since the payback culture in Zambia is not fully developed yet they need to have stringent measures to see the money back one day. It is a revolving fund do not forget this!!!

  18. It is great when anyone is engaged in creating vocational skills. However, why is this an initiative of the Ministry? Why are there no technical colleges throughout the country teaching these skills?

  19. great,hope the DC’s position is the GRZ’s one.as zeds sometimes we’re just good at finger pointing without thinking twice.if CEEC is to succeed,those involved must screen applicants without fear or favour.we all know what happened to lima bank,pipo owed the bank billions of kwacha and never paid back.it’s not sangwapo,give proper business proposals and a plan of how yu intend to pay back.I am with yu DC there provided some cadres will not just find it easy,conditions shud apply to all regardless.

  20. Some conditions like surity are too stiff. Where do you expect the surity to come from, when someone is just starting a business? If that is the case, then the money is not intended for the poor. They should consult with banks that are lending to Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs. They could learn one or two things. Or better still employ people who have banking experiense

  21. Those guys rejected my plastic recycling business..i wanted to clean up lusaka. I later found out that they had approved a simiar scheme for some Zambian/Indian 3 months later….One wonders whether they used my business plan

  22. As ZAMBIANS, we need a leader that is like a dictator. The one that will be shaking some of these so called govt. workers. 🙁

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