By HELEN ZULU –

THE Citizens’ Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has in the last two years  financed more than 1, 800 projects through the inclusive industrialisation process in the country.
CEEC director general Likando Mukumbuta said the projects include more than 100 manufacturing projects, such as the processing of pineapples, palm oil refinery and cassava in Ikelenge, North-Western Province and  Mwense in Luapula.
Mr Mukumbuta said other projects were peanut butter production and soya cooking oil production in Mungwi and Kasama, gemstone processing and groundnut cooking oil production in Lundazi and Petauke districts.
Others are sausage production and stock feed manufacturing in Isoka and Mpika districts of Muchinga Province, chicken processing in Lusaka, cotton processing and stock feed production in Mumbwa and Chisamba districts of Central province.
He was speaking when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Economic affairs chaired by Mazabuka central constituency Member of Parliament Garry Nkombo.
“As CEEC we have so far financed over 1, 800 projects through the inclusive industrialisation process.
These projects include, timber processing on the Copperbelt province, mango juice production and rice processing in Mongu and Limulunga districts of Western Province and sunflower cooking oil production in Zimba district in  Southern Province,” he said.
Mr Mukumbuta further said the commission’s work plan and budget were predicted on meeting five critical performance benchmarks that represented the main upward drivers of the commission’s budget in 2016.
He said these include successfully implementing the K75 million of the African Development Bank (AfDB) supported cassava commercialisation initiative in Kasama, Mansa and Solwezi districts.
The projects were expected to create 12,000 on and off-farm jobs.
Mr Mukumbuta further said the organisation was planning to establish K200 million industrial yards in 10 districts and extending the value chain development programme to a further 30 districts that are yet to be reached by the programme.
He said these would create about 4, 000 sustainable jobs within the next two years and 45,000 sustainable rural jobs within the next two years respectively.