By MILDRED KATONGO –
CITIZENS Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has expressed concern over the low turnout of young people accessing the empowerment fund.
CEEC head of Communication and Public Relations Glenda Masebe said in an interview at the ongoing Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Ndola that youths were not meeting their 40 percent target to access the fund.
Ms Masebe said the Commission had allocated 40 percent to the young people, but despite having the larger percentage youths were still not accessing the fund.
“The Commission concentrates on empowering the youths, women and the disabled, among these, youths have been allocated 40 percent funding, but they are not accessing the fund. They are not meeting their target,” she said.
Ms Masebe encouraged young people to take advantage and access the fund to be empowered and contribute to national development.
She said young people being the majority had the capacity to contribute to the economic growth of the nation.
The Commission had however received an overwhelming number of women getting on board to access the empowerment fund.
She urged women to continue accessing funding and improve their business to help foster development in the country.
“We are happy that a number of women are coming on board to access the funds, they are performing very well and bringing back the borrowed money on time,” she said.
