Commerce Minister Bob Sichinga has charged that it is premature to state that the patriotic front has failed to attract foreign direct investment. Mr. Sichinga said that that stakeholders, who are alleging that, are only politicking about the operations of the government.
Mr. Sichinga said that Zambians should not be deceived that employment creations can only be aided by foreign investment. He said that the duty of creating jobs is by Zambians and not foreign investors coming to Zambia.
He said that foreign investment only compliments the job market in the country. Mr. Sichinga has charged that the final target of the Zambian government is to get everyone employed.
Mr. Sichinga has stated that the government is still committed to ensure that employment creation among the youths is enhanced.
And Sichinga has urged youths to develop their entrepreneurship skills rather than relying on formal employment to contribute to economic development.
Mr Sichinga said youths are the cornerstone and main drivers for the growth of the economy. He said Government will ensure that it creates an enabling environment for youths, adding that youths should not only look forward to be given a job but to create employment which would benefit both there livehood and families.
Mr Sichinga said this at the young entrepreneur ’s exhibition at the Ministry of Youth and Sports sponsored by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) under the theme ‘Accelerating youth employment for sustainable national development”.
He said Government will turn the youth skills into tangible benefits for all the people by allocating K11 billion towards the youths in the 2012 budget. Mr Sichinga said the job of the government is to ensure that employment opportunities and an enabling environment for investment are created.
“Government is under obligation to provide employment and investment opportunities because about 68 percent of the country’s population is comprised of the youths,” he said.
He said the government has lined up a number of programmes to benefit the youths, such as decentralisation of company registration, establishment of a micro finance and citizens empowerment fund, among others.
ILO national programme coordinator Evans Lwanga said the organisation has put up empowerment programmes for both women and youths to contribute to poverty reduction and job creation in the country.
He said there is need for decent jobs and livelihood of youths because they have the potential to stimulate employment creation in the country.
“Although the country is facing challenges of creating employment for the youths, there are good initiatives to create decent work such as the one we are witness today (yesterday),” he said.
The young entrepreneurs exhibition and national youth employment development forum attracted 49 young entrepreneurs from different sectors such agriculture, trade, hospitality, technology and manufacturing.
QFM
Let the youth protest. Where are the skills and jobs they need to survive? They are all drinking utujilijili at markets. PF needs to address this stat!
Sichinga you are a liar where is the fake money? You like teasing youth with your usual fake promises what is 11billion compared to the 68% of the youth in zambia. FIRE THIS SELF MADE CONSULTANT, HE IS NOT ADDING VALUE TO GOVT
How do you talk about employment creation, when you are occupying a position which is suppose to be for youth. And you are saying locals investors should creat employment. Honestly Mr Sichinga at your age how much have you contributed to the Job market,
Everyday I am getting worried with what is coming out of this man.Has he forgotten what he told the youth? He categorically stated that PF and not the youths themselves will provide employment.
Now I’m getting confused, is this PF or MMD – they sound the same.
this is my best comment on the blog today.i love it
When two elephants have a fight, the grass and the insects are the ones that pay the heavy price.
Bob, you are playing politics and fighting the opposition at the expense of the unemployed youth. It stinks !!
My advise to you is to take your fight to the sand beaches of Lake Tanganyika, Mweru and Bangweulu.
This is because, when the punches become harder and you start nose bleeding, you’ll need to go and wash your face in the lake.
I’ll give you 3 out of 10 for stating the obvious. However, you have no Formulae to motivate and inspire those that need a platform to start from.
Fail!! FDI is a measure of the confidence that investors have in the countries. Its time for you to go grovelling before the Chinese. They are the only people with money these days. 90days and running!
What failures and LIARS! The whole lot! Mwatusebanya sana! It’s time to try ka under 5!
What failures and LIARS! The whole lot! Mwatusebanya sana! It’s time to try ka under five.
And what has become of the 3trillion fake money printed in china mr fake bob?? These guys a beginning to vex me too much. What a bunch of failures!!!
Leadership is less talking and more actions. In Zambia we have examples to this effect former ZESCO boss R. Mwansa, Levy Mwanawansa, Magande and many others. Not Bob and his boss, we desparetely need DFI no two ways about that. Yes youths need to look within themselves as well for solutions. The question is where do they get the grants (not loans), what education do they have, who is planning to level the playing ground (PF this is your role just in case you did not know). May be you do not know how to level the playing ground examples are
1. Stop direct tax for small businesses – give Tax holidays for up to 24 months
2. control what is being imported as finished goods
3. remove tax on import of machinary and raw materials for small businesses
4.Stop politiking on everything
i have decided not to comment on anything Bob has to say until he starts making sense. for now i think lets give him a rope long enough to hang himself when the that time comes. NB: still waiting for his 5.5 million jobs he was promising in the first 5 yr term of PF.
Bob you are bankrupt how can you run the nation economic affairss, we know you were just given a job to appease for telling lies about UPND. i WONDER WHETHER YOU EVEN HAD MONEY TO BUY A LOAF OF BREAD FOR YOUR FAMILY. SHUT UP YOU KNOW NOTHING JUST CONCENTRATE ON EATING WITHTHE REST OF IDITS INpf.
I think PF now knows that running a country is different from running a party. Sometimes I wonder why people have short memories. I think we need to educate the masses about the choices we make if we need to take this country to greater heights. The combiination of certain ministers has cost Zambia the reputation it had lest registering negative economic growth. Let us not be docile. Let us call those that were making noise during RB time start commenting. Simon Kabanda, Frank Bwalya,etc, where are u? We aint seeing results that these guys promised. Let us be honest as politicians. This cabinet is a LOST one! We headed for DOOM! Any way, we asked for it! tunkhale bolimba che