By KALOBWE BWALYA
GOVERNMENT has engaged financial institutions to provide financing to youths and women and skills training for entrepreneurial activities, Small and Medium Enterprise Minister Elias Mubanga has said.
Mr Mubanga observed that the youth empowerment programme was never taken seriously the time it was introduced and this led the programme to fail, therefore the UPND government will ensure that it involves every Zambian especially women and youths.
In an interview, Mr Mubanga said giving youths and women financing is important because they will learn how to spend their resources responsibly unlike in the past.
He said his ministry will also go out and look out for potential youths before they are given the skill and analyse what kind of the people the government is looking for.
He however urged youths to change their mind set towards smaller and medium business they will be involved in if they are to succeed.
He observed that the reason why the previous empowerment programmes has failed was due to lack of skills training because beneficiaries lacked proper knowledge.
And Mr Mubanga disclosed that the ministry has also reserved the package for the media industry to ensure that they also benefit from the empowerment programmes.
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