LABOUR and Social Security permanent secretary Winnie Mwenda has said the Zambian Government has placed entrepreneurship development and the setting up of small and medium entrepreneurship on top of its agenda for job creation.
Dr Mwenda said that this is because 80 percent of Zambia’s population works in the informal economy.
She was speaking in Siavonga on Saturday when she closed a week-long entrepreneurship international workshop that was organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Commonwealth Youth Progamme.
Dr Mwenda said that Government and other stakeholders have put up measures that are aimed at boosting entrepreneurship development, focusing on business facilitation, quality empowerment and market support.
She also said the workshop was important not only for Zambia but for the developing world which needs to invest more in entrepreneurship skills training.
Dr Mwenda commended ILO director for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique Jerry Finnegan for his commitment to matters pertaining to employment creation.
Speaking earlier, Mr Finnegan urged participants who were drawn mostly from African nations to help entrepreneurs in their respective countries gain from the skills that they have gathered from the workshop.
“The work you have done in Siavonga will be in vain unless you go back to your respective nations and help entrepreneurs. You now have what it takes to facilitate business development support services that help young people build sustainable enterprises,” he said.
Mr Finnegan said that ILO is aware of the risks young people face in work places, adding that his organisation will continue to promote decent work and rights.
Meanwhile, Mr Finnegan will this month retire from ILO after serving for more than 21 years.
Mr Finnegan, who has worked across the globe and has had two-term contracts manning the Zambian ILO office, said he will leave ILO a happy man as most of the programmes that he initiated have worked well.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Entrepreneurship key to job creation ,i doubt..coz we good at tailking…so mafi aya Dr Mwenda asosa
This is perfectly sensible but the trouble is it is coming from a technocrat permanent secretary who is not responsible for policy. This needs to be politicised so that the general public are aware about what exactly is available for them from government to access funding. So far, it seems that the Citizens Economic Empowerment and women empowerment schemes are only for a few who are in the know. I would suggest that the Labour ministry should be used to advertise such funding to those who are in search of employment.
Entrepreneurship key to job creation true true,but the problem is we are good at :-@:-@:-@:-@<):)
Hey Blogers, Find a Google search spot provided on the right side of the page. On this, you can still comment on a past article by typing in a few words and this should bring it up for you.
I completely agree with most comments.We should not just talk but act as well.ACTION is more important.
#4 Eureka, but who will read the comment? It would be nice if LT had an email reminder to anyone who comments on an article, that there is a new comment, like face book does. I am sure the brainies at LT can do that. I find that once some people post a comment, they disappear into the aether without learning from what others may respond.
We must all embrace what Dr mwenda has said.The job market is too small to support our large population of 12 million. 450 000 employees in the formal sector is a drop in the sea. Some people are against foreign investment.It take money to great money. let many go the enterprise way. It opens your mind to self dependence .
Entrepreneurship targeted at locals should be accompanied by incentives like lower tax rates, reduced interest rates and so on for such policies to record success. Otherwise madam PS just keep quiet and enjoy your salary as a top civil servant please!
:-@:-@:-@:-@ tired of talking and listening…lower taxes in the rural areas and empower the productive locals with loans and ready markets, ensure that FRA is ready to buy produce in time. In other words do more action than blurring..
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We hav heard it all and it sounds sweet 2 some ears, but only if actions follow their words will the sweetnes move from ear 2 tongue. then the mouth can now testify that the gvt is working.