BARBERS, WELDERS TO RECEIVE GENSETS VIA CEEC – MUBANGA
By Kombe Chimpinde Mataka
SMALL and medium development minister Elias Mubanga says the ministry will soon start giving generators and energy accessories
to people in small and medium businesses through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission.
Featuring on Diamond Live programme last Wednesday, Mubanga said the measure is designed to alleviate the effects of the prevailing energy crisis.
“Ninety per cent of businesses in this country are small and medium and therefore, as a ministry we have developed…and I will announce it now. It will be the first time that we have developed for the SMEs and cooperatives, a product which will cushion or help the running of small businesses in the country.
I understand and the impact is huge. The ministry through CEEC, we have developed a product where SMEs will be able to apply to get energy, to get gensets and to get these are other things like batteries, solar. This is now what we are trying to help our SMEs.
In the next two days, we should be able to see this product and the SMEs will be encouraged to apply,” Mubanga said. “We have got a lot of SMEs but there must be where you are starting from. The government has given K400…this year in the budget and tackling this money or fund to let the SMEs tap into it and apply so that they can get something. “
He said priority would be given to Salon and barbershop owners as well as welders.
“We have SMEs who are into barbershops, these are the SMEs that we will target, even people who are into fabricating and welding in Kalingalinga.
They must apply, get a genset and run their businesses,” he said. “When we launch it we will receive applications and it will be for everyone. Whoever applies we will process. We don’t want to wait when they apply.
I may not give you the number of SMES now of those who are affected but I have given you the categories. Salon owners, the barbers and also fabricators. We will target these three.”
Mubanga challenged Zambians to be innovative in times of crisis.
“We need to be innovative. This is a crisis not only for Zambia but for entire globe.
Traditionally, Zambian businesses they have been dependent hydropower. And it has been our traditional way of depending on electricity. Now this crisis is not only by Zambian but entire globe or rather southern Africa.