MAKE USE OF 2017 WORLD BANK STUDY FOR VALID JOB CREATION STRATEGIES – HIKAUMBA
11th February, 2022.
Movement for Democratic Change MDC, an Alliance partner of the UPND has advised the New Dawn administration to utilize useful research work to find that which is valid to be married with the manifesto in order to actualize job creation for the people.
MDC Vice President for Politics Leonard Hikaumba has cited the 2017 World Bank comprehensive study, vision 2030 and the National Strategy on Industrialization and Job Creation as having clearly articulated Zambia’s job creation plans but lacked implementation.
Mr Hikaumba said government should consider going back to these useful research works to find that which can still be valid and see how best the job creation plans can be actualized in line with the UPND manifesto.
Mr Hikaumba was speaking at a press briefing earlier today at the MDC Secretariat flanked by party Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Joyce Musenge and Deputy Media Director Edmond Miti.
Mr Hikaumba bemoaned that the previous leadership under the Patriotic Front had lost focus on strategies meant to create more jobs as evidenced in the high unemployment statistics which have increased from 7.8% in 2012 to about 12.2% in 2020 with a possibility of being stressful by 2021.
Mr Hikaumba said the MDC as a party supports and urges government to ensure that it departs from what was happening in the past where it was mere talk without clear action on job creation.
He said according to the 7th National Development Plan (2017-2021) launched by the PF, government came up with a plan to create 1 million jobs in 5 years but this was not realized because of lacking clear action plan.
And Mr Hikaumba said while the New Dawn government is emphatic on job creation, it should be mindful to talk about decent jobs where workers will have reasonable disposable income and enjoy their rights with an entitlement to social security.
Mr Hikaumba said that he was confident that the UPND Alliance implementation plan on job creation will be actualized but added that job creation should be done quickly because there is growing desperation among the people.
Meanwhile, Mr Hikaumba said certain things need to be corrected especially for newly discovered areas with minerals of high value where there is mining activity without regulation by ensuring such illegalities are done away with.
And Mr Hikaumba has called on parliament that as it resumes sitting this month, it should revisit some pieces of legislation such as workers accessing part of their pension fund and also having legislation that is supportive of economic activity.