Government says street vending is an important source of employment for a large number of urban and underprivileged citizens as it requires low skills and minimal financial resources.
And Copperbelt Permanent secretary Rev. Howard Sikwela thanked the ministry of youth and sports for considering the province to benefit from this initiative adding that it has a large population of which 70 percent are young ones.
Youth, Sports and Child Development permanent secretary Agnes Musunga says it is in this vain that government has and will continue to implement programs aimed at improving the welfare of the vulnerable members of the society.
Ms. Musunga said that one such program is the action plan for youth empowerment and employment which is aimed at addressing youth unemployment and under-employment comprehensively through a multi sectional and mainstreamed approach.
ZANIS reports that the Permanent secretary said this during the official opening of the training of beneficiaries of the Street Vendors Empowerment Scheme at Levy Mwanawasa stadium in Ndola yesterday.
She said that the scheme which is being implemented by the ministry in partnership with ZAMPOST and the United Street Vendors Foundation Cooperation Society Limited is targeted to empower about 500 street vendor youths of Ndola and Kitwe district.
Ms. Musunga noted that the program which was launched on June 2nd 2016 is expected to empower youth street vendors with small loans and payback with minimal interest within a stipulated timeframe.
Beneficiaries will start accessing the loans on Monday 13th June 2016 at any nearest post office.
The overall objective of the scheme is to provide capacity building to street vendors in terms of training, finances and equipment in order to make their businesses sustainable and profitable for their improved livelihoods.
Meanwhile Copperbelt Permanent secretary Rev. Howard Sikwela thanked the ministry of youth and sports for considering the province to benefit from this initiative adding that it has a large population of which 70 percent are young ones.
Rev. Sikwela noted that the coming of this scheme in the province will help alleviate cases such as poverty, early marriages, drug abuse illegal mining among others.
He further urged the beneficiaries to utilize the money by using it for the intended purpose and also make sure that they pay back the loans on time.
The Permanent Secretary also appealed to the beneficiaries to keep their trading areas clean and also support one another adding that government should set aside a day for street vendors to celebrate their day.
Earlier, the United Street Venders Foundation Society Limited President Teddy Sinkala thanked government for recognizing them by improving their living standards through the empowerment program.
He noted that the foundation is happy with what the government has done to them so far adding that it has recognized that the subsector has a high potential and a quick impact to poverty alleviation in the country.
Execellent initiative.!!! This is a progressive and pro poor program that will aliveate poverty. We need more of these programs that take money to the poorest in Society
These PF ido.ts are desperate for votes, in a normal country street vending is illegal but Lungu and his maggots think that it is a right thing to do.
Hmm, it’s campaign time we know.Are there any environmental concerns here? Mu rain season ati cholera
You have really failed ba feecolor. Where are the 500000 jobs you said you will create?
I hate street vending PF find something better for Zambians not street vending it is a lie being propagated by gamblers and thieves. The do not love Zambia but themselves and what they can get for belonging to the ruling party. Lungu knows this. Lwenu.
Instead of empowering legally registered small businesses you’re empowering vendors who don’t pay taxes and other statutory fees.
Why now before elections? Where have these initiatives been all along?
kudos–for once your are actually thinking critically; and here I thought you blindly follow these clueless, corrupt, and inept leaders of the pf
Useless govt of filthy empty tins that are so desperate to cling on that it would allow defaciating in the streets…how can you empower people who dont contribute anything…why dont you allow streetvending outside your newly aquired mansions?
Its is important to empower business and local individuals for any economy to grow in a country like Zambia BUT to empower street vendors is not a viable economical program for the country at all. The country must always invest in locals with a view to increase its Tax revenue so that the government may have money to spend. Street vendors do not pay any tax which benefits government treasury, they only pay to the cadres who inturn share the money. The ministry should know that they are making it difficult for Local Authorities to grow its revenue if the government supports street vendors.
The loans given out will have a positive impact if given to the youths doing business in well designated business places and with a business physical address.
One would ask if the money given out…
What a shame that street vending will not end. PF has no vision and should go.
It does not sense because the timing is poor .Why now but a new ago when your hands were dipped in a pot of tax payers cash.Give them a votes on such promise , come fives years from now they’ll come back with the promise. Give them a kick on the back side to show them that you are serious. As a matter of fact ,they must be promoting production initiatives not vending.
5years ago,In 2011 when late MC Sata came into office,this was the first message,infact it is what made him win “”more money in your packet for poor Zambians””.Street vendors were promised loans to grow into big business men. But it is now a thing of the past,5 years goneby,and it is almost 2years since Sata died.are these PF minions telling us that even their own promises to their own people they have not honored them?What then have these baffoons really achieved all this time?Roads?and Bridges?
It does not sense because the timing is poor .Why now not a few months ago when your hands were dipped in a pot of tax payers cash.Give them your votes on such promises , come fives years from now they’ll come back with the same promise. Give them a kick on the back side to show them that you are serious. As a matter of fact ,they must be promoting production initiatives not vending. Production creats jobs not utuntemba which will not make anyone rich as fast as Lungu has .
Government leaders has No Vision! No Strategy! No Loyalty! and Finally, NO PRIDE IN ITS OWN COUNTRY!
how about creating real jobs with reliable salaries and benefits instead promoting street vending? how about the 500,000 jobs promised–how about making good on that promise first?
Street vending can be promoted through licences and regulations. Have designated areas, vendors just like any business owner pay taxes and licences in order to trade. Make sure they clean up after themselves and no throwing of water and litter on the premises since they breed diseases. Open from 5am to 6pm Monday through Friday weekends 6am to 6pm, ciity employees monitor the location for litter and give fines. Make washrooms available for vendors and shoppers. Youth need education in finance, revenue management, cost control, sanitation, etc. If done well it can be good thing.