By DAVID KANDUZA –
SOME Copperbelt marketeers have praised President Edgar Lungu for improving their lives through the disbursement of presidential loans.
The marketeers from Chingola, Kitwe, Kalulushi and Ndola, who are the beneficiaries, said the loans would help them sustain their businesses.
The Presidential loans rolled out to marketeers on the Copperbelt last week.
This follows Mr Lungu’s promise when he visited the Copperbelt recently, where he said the loans would be offered to traders to help them grow their businesses.
A Sunday Times reporter during the week found the marketeers conducting their businesses happily.
Association of Vendors and Marketeers in Zambia president Abel Chikwa said more than K1 million was disbursed to Chisokone market traders.
Mr Chikwa said some marketeers had obtained the loans since the exercise started, while others were still submitting their details.
“The disbursement of loans to the marketeers has gone on well and we want to thank the President for this gesture,” he said.
The traders do not need sureties to obtain loans, but only proof where one conducts the business from.
Andrew Mwanza commended President Lungu for his commitment to improving the lives of marketeers, saying once his business grows he would have no problems in paying school fees for his children in January.
Mary Chanda, of Chimwemwe Township, said the loan had transformed his business which had not been doing well because of limited capital.