Govt increases youth fund to benefit more

Govt increases youth fund to benefit more

Lusaka, March 12, 2015,ZANIS….Acting Republican  President Ngosa Simbyakula says government has increased  the allocation of the Youth Fund from K20 million in  2014 to K29 million in the 2015 national budget.

The acting Head of State said since its inception in 2012, government had so far disbursed K43 million youth funds benefiting over 1000 young people across the country.

Dr Simbyakula disclosed the development when he officiated at the National Youth Day Cerebrations at the Freedom Statue in Lusaka today.

He said the increment in the youth fund was a clear demonstration of commitment by the Patriotic Front (PF) Government to improving the welfare and the living standards of the Zambian youths.

He noted that Government is further implementing other empowerment initiatives such as the citizens economic empowerment fund where 40 percent is earmarked for youth projects.

Dr Simbyakula also added that in the Ministry of Gender and Child Development, more funds have been allocated to benefit the women in order to empower them with capital for business ventures.

Dr Simbyakula who is also Justice Minister as well as acting Defence Minister further urged the Zambian Youths to take up entrepreneurship as a viable career option to apply for the funds through district commissioner’s offices and provincial administration.

Dr Simbyakula also hinted that government would build a public University in each of the ten provinces of Zambia to enable the young people have access to quality education.

He said President Edgar Lungu’s administration will not depart from the late President Michael Sata’s agenda of  building more schools,  entrepreneurship training skills centres and Universities to improve the education standards in the nation.

Dr Simbyakula further lamented that Youth Resource Centres and Trades Training institutions have been built in all the provinces adding that the project was on-going.

And speaking at the same Celebrations, Minister of Youth and Sport Vincent Mwale said Youths were crucial in the economic development of any nation.

Mr Mwale stated that youths were the future leaders of Zambia and that as such should be provided with necessary skills for their survival.

He urged the Youth across the country to work hard in order to take part in the economic emancipation of the nation for their own benefit and that of the entire Zambian population.

The Youth and Sports Minister also called on the Youths in the country to denounce tribalism which he said was a cancer.

Mr Mwale said  tribalism should not be encouraged in Zambia adding that young people should emulate the "One Zambia One Nation slogan ", which is at the centre stage of uniting the Zambian people.

He also appealed to the young people to desist from engaging in electoral violence.

Meanwhile, Youth representative Anna Chibwana appealed to government to tackle the issue of massive un employment which she said had engulfed young people.

Ms Chibwana said many youths were currently on the streets despite having completed their University and college studies.

She said if the issue of un employment was not tackled, the young people in Zambia will continue wallowing in abject poverty , a thing she said is capable of increasing criminology in the nation.

Ms Chibwana also stated that government was on the right track by increasing the number of schools and building a University in each province.