An official at the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) in Kasama has been tasked to go to Radio MANO community station to explain to the community procedures followed to obtain a loan from the commission.
Defence Minister Geoffrey Mwamba who is also Kasama Central Member of Parliament yesterday took to task Tresford Phiri the Assistant Provincial CEEC officer to go to Radio MANO and explain the criteria used to disburse the loans to the people who applied for them.
The Area Member of Parliament’s move follows the outcry from his electorates that in the recent past, out of over 400 people who had applied for the loans only four people benefited and prompted them to demonstrate to the provincial administration office.
About K3, 500 million was recently released by government for Kasama district to empower the vulnerable people to start their businesses but was only given to four people who already have sound businesses.
In another development, Mr Mwamba also visited offices of the Chambeshi Water and Sewerage Company to verify reports that the water utility company has not put to good use the K4,700 million grant to undertake rehabilitation works on the Mulenga Hill and Location townships.
The Minister was satisfied with the response given to him by the Companies Statutory Manager Arnott Chilwesa.
Mr Chilwesa however admitted that the company’s service delivery to the people has deteriorated in the last four months due to township road rehabilitation works being carried out by China Geo as their pipes are being uprooted in the course of work.
ZANIS
K3.5m is a lot of money for just 4 people if all of it has already been disbursed. The little guy always gets screwed and I am sure they are the ones with great business ideas but no connections.
CEEC funds are meant for micro and small business. With 4 businesses only benefiting on average they obtained KR875,000 each which is too much for the type of businesses that this fund is meant to benefit. Either the business that have been funded a relatively large (i.e medium size as opposed to small and micro) or the investment that has been made is too much possibly injecting too much liquidity and will lead to under-utilisation of the funds and consequently failure to repay. Whichever the case the CEEC funds would have failed to serve the intended purpose
why wasn’t he stopped from featuring on Radio mano
How you beat up your wife is how the loans were obtained!
Utterly greedy k3.5m to 4 people and k0.0m to 396 people! What a ratio, its a shocker. How can you empower the majority poor people that way? A poor man/woman only needs k500 as start up capital, which can be used to trade in commodities, brew beer for sale, cross boarder trade, farming etc and be able to pay back loan with interest. This can empower so many in that province. How can we help the poor voters? Definately not by giving k3.5m to already selfish rich 4 people whilst 396 people go with nothing! Thinking can surely be misplaced.
This is not new, this is how this thieves at CEEC have been performing. Why can’t you change this people and monitor them. How can they be giving money to people who already have businesses. We need more monitoring on how the peoples money is being given only to relatives. The Minister concerned should take this as a wake up call otherwise people will demonstrate to State house. We are tired of lip service, we all need to have access to our resources. MR Mwamba it’s not a laughing matter.
@Floyd Chitalu; ala nipa Zed boyi where poor people don’t matter. This reminds me of one the 95 Mandela quotes published in SA’s Star Newspaper yesterday that ” A country’s well being should not be judged by how it looks after its highest citizens, but its poorest”
Why radio mano of all the avenues, is it for cadres? Phiri is from Chipata whodoes not speak Bemba but mean while those who are complaining only understand Bemba
this all ru.bbi.sh
Some reporting needs to be corrected. the 3.5 was for kasama district. it doesn’t mean it went to the 4 applicants. funds are still there but only 4 qualified.
Loans are given to people with demonstrable capacity to pay back. Those who desparately need it most of the time cannot afford it and will treat it as a grant
when are the lusaka province ceec loans being released…..before we here that the money has finished