POLITICAL AFFILIATION IS NOT A PRELIQUISITE FOR FORMATION OF COOPERATIVES AND ACCESS TO EMPOWERMENT FUNDS – MUBANGA
Minister of Small and Medium enterprise Elias Mubanga says the basic requirement for the formation of cooperatives and access to empowerment is the need for community to solve social, economic, cultural and environmental common challenges.
Speaking during a training session for community capacity building to create and manage cooperatives as social enterprises at Belvedere Lodge in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mubanga reiterated that his ministry was created to enable Zambians take part in value addition to valuable resources that as now are being exported as raw materials and imported as finished goods and products at the expense of the country and its citizens.
He reiterated that his ministry shall facilitate support and create avenues for social enterprenuers to add value to the abundant natural resources for creating employment, wealth and foster economic growth.
He also called for innovation among emerging and would be entrepreneurs to take up the initiatives to fill up those businesses and works taken in the hands of foreigners through such initiatives.
“No investor will make blocks, rear chicken, petty trading like selling poultry products, salaula, I therefore call on capenters, tailors , bricklayers, welders and other skill based groupings to organize themselves as teams so that they can liverage well on the empowerment initiatives government is offering,” said Mr Mubanga.
The essence of creation of cooperatives is to create a strong crop of individuals who will fill the gap between the haves and the have nots while expanding the private sector.
Speaking at the same function, Event coordinator Actor Mwami Maunga expressed happiness at the great numbers of Lusaka residents interested into becoming enterprenuers as that would lead to ,more Zambians owning businesses.
Mr Mwami Maunga said it is evident that Zambia will have more billionaires in future because of political will shown by the new dawn administration in using natural resources as the source of creating wealth and jobs for the people of Zambia.
Hundreds of Lusaka residents from all walks of life yesterday flocked to attend the training session of capacity building in the formation and management of cooperatives held at Belvedere Lodge.
Similar sessions will be conducted across the nation to educate Zambians on the formation of cooperatives and how to access empowerment funds.
UPND MEDIA TEAM
