Government has kick started the project to loan Public Service Drivers (PSV) 1000 brand new 64 seater buses affiliated to public and private drivers association of Zambia (PPDAZ).
This is part of the strategy to empower the youths.
Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda said the imported 1,000 buses would be given to youths who would be owners to run the transport business.
Colonel Kaunda said during the handover of the first two busses held at Kapata bus station in Chipata yesterday that the Government would continue with productive means of empowering citizens.
He said the drivers to be empowered would start operating local routes in all the districts of the country.
“Today, for the very first time in Zambia, a driver owns a public service bus and shall commence operations from Chipata to Mambwe districts.
“This bus is the first of the 1000 busses which are coming into Zambia under your ownership and control,” he said.
Col Kaunda said requirements under the scheme entailed that one was a holder of a valid PSV driver’s licence and a member of the PPDAZ.
He said drivers with clean driving records were eligible to own a bus financed by the loan scheme under the Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ).
“The faster you pay back for the first bus you got, you qualify for another one. These are brand new busses certified by the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA),” he said.
He said the Government would train mechanics for the maintenance of the busses.
He appealed to people to apply to the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) and the ministry responsible for youth development for financing the supplies of spares and service parts for maintaining the busses.
Col Kaunda said Investrust Bank and DBZ were also giving the Government favourable response towards possible financing of the initiative.
Speaking earlier, association president Josiah Majuru said the rural –urban migration had lead to a lot of youths not having employment hence indulging in illicit behaviour.
Mr Majuru commended the Government policies that has seen empowerment programme aimed at creating massive employment to young people.
Fest to connect. Its an honor to comment first before other foolish bloggers downplay This important initiative. To government keep it up. My vote Will be on PF come 2016
This is such a waste of Money, valuable human resource that can be trained in apprentice or technical programmes so that they can replace and form part of building a workforce that would become experienced and continue the work of developing and building various infrastructure such as new roads, modern buildings etc and replace those that retire each year. The last time I checked, the roads in Zambian are very poor, ill maintained with too many buses that the road network can’t cope with, let alone the various accidents due to poor roads. This initiative will not help people out of poverty, if anything in puts a strain on them to pay back the loan. Lets re-think our strategy about building a progressive nation. These govts have failed us, from UNIP, MMD to PF…A Tsunami is coming to replace
Even our “Youth’s aged 50” will be empowered. It’s PF cadres empowerment here. 1000 Buses from China. How was the tender for the supply arrived at? What is the credit line attached to this?
China is forcibly selling its poor quality goods to desperado states like Zambia under the PF. These buses will not last until the next rainy season. Just look at the roads…
The move to empowerment of that nature is good If it can be sustained and it is well planned.
Thumbs UP.
THIS IS A GOOD MOVE BY THE GOVT. THE IMPLEMENTATION: ORGANISE YOUTHS IN GROUPS, PROVIDE BUSINESS TRAINING TO THEM, LET THEM REGISTER THEIR BUSINESSES WITH THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES OPEN BANK ACCOUNTS AND START RUNNING THE BUSINESS. THE GOVT CAN FOLLOW UP WITH MONITORING AND EVALUATION. BUT I THINK THE GOVT COULD ALSO CONSIDER BUYING SOME TRUCKS AS WELL BECAUSE BUSINESS VARIES IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
This is such a waste of Money, valuable human resource that can be trained in apprentice or technical programmes so that they can replace and form part of building a workforce that would become experienced and continue the work of developing and building various infrastructure such as new roads, modern buildings etc and replace those that retire each year. The last time I checked, the roads in Zambian are very poor, ill maintained with too many buses that the road network can’t cope with, let alone the various accidents due to poor roads. This initiative will not help people out of poverty, if anything in puts a strain on them to pay back the loan. Lets re-think our strategy about building a progressive nation. These govts have failed us, from UNIP, MMD to PF…A Tsunami is coming to replace
This is realy a very bad way of doing things, do we have economists in zambia?Do we have people that think of what should change after 10 years?, i feel so much ashamed to read this article, we can never go and spend such amount of money into another country for 1000 buses that will run for only aproxmatly 5 years, there will be now even more buses than people to carry and even using more fuel than the outcome, when the same amount of money used can be used for constructing a car asembly plant to creat real jobs to youths.Not this way please,People of zambia lets have a wider consideration before doing things,
Kamumbulu & GBV will only give to their boys and PF tribal men in Muchinga, ,Kasama. what criteria are they gona use ,to select who to give? Let this not be a pay back to PF die-hards. All provinces need an equal share. 1000 divde by 10 province is 100. we expect a 100 in each province.
This is such a waste of Money, valuable human resource that can be trained in apprentice or technical programmes so that they can replace and form part of building a workforce that would become experienced and continue the work of developing and building various infrastructure such as new roads, modern buildings etc and replace those that retire each year. The last time I checked, the roads in Zambian are very poor, ill maintained with too many buses that the road network can’t cope with, let alone the various accidents due to poor roads. This initiative will not help people out of poverty, if anything in puts a strain on them to pay back the loan. Lets re-think our strategy about building a progressive nation. These govts have failed us, from UNIP, MMD to PF…A Tsunami is coming to replace
This amounts to cheap and unsustainable way of trying to solve youth unemployment. What the youth want is skills training that will enable them to enter the job market or help them start small to medium enterprises that will bring long term economic benefits. You cant unleash 1000 buses on our already deadly roads as a means to empower the youth!!
i was waiting for a comment like yours, thank you!!
when they are not handing out buses, its sewing machines to a group of women, after that no one cares if the women are successful or not.
This is a tricky model full of questionable scenarios. What happens in the event that a bus is involved in an accident before the loan is repaid? Isn’t this a rehash of how AFE (Africa Farmers Equipment) years back failed to recover loans to farmers after giving them cattle to start ranches? Isn’t the transport sector, more specific the bus section already congested? This will end up in tears.
This is such a waste of Money, valuable human resource that can be trained in apprentice or technical programmes so that they can replace and form part of building a workforce that would become experienced and continue the work of developing and building various infrastructure such as new roads, modern buildings etc and replace those that retire each year. The last time I checked, the roads in Zambian are very poor, ill maintained with too many buses that the road network can’t cope with, let alone the various accidents due to poor roads. This initiative will not help people out of poverty, if anything in puts a strain on them to pay back the loan. Lets re-think our strategy about building a progressive nation. These govts have failed us, from UNIP, MMD to PF…A Tsunami is coming to replace
My word let us wait and see, the scrabble for Africa begins. How on earth are they going to share these free bus? I’m yet to see and hear the first fair and equal distribution of resources done in Zambia under PF. Even the katengamalilo vehicles were not well shared between the provinces under MMD now free buses. Wina azalila. By the way ambulances are coming too for sharing. I won’t be surprised to see ministers’ children driving these buses around levy park doing family shopping . This is just a format used to secure public funds for the project so no auditor can question . Pa zed kubandwa ni kulakwa zoona !!!! If you were born in some provinces of Zambia wa lakwa!
Imwe naimwe, these are not FREE buses. Aikona ya pa nkongole? Credit is the in thing world over. It just need to be further developed and strengthened pa Zed.
They are trying to buy votes for the coming elections please get the buses but vote for oppositon
I bet not more than 30 will be owned by actually needed youth rather relatives rubber stumped by actual PF true owners and may be less than 10 will equally come from same scenario but MMD chaps somehow affiliated to Sata one way or the other and may be less than five will be the true intended real benefactors of the intended project…. the rest will later begin to hear mysteriously disappear through corruption unreal bureaucracy…mark my works
I bet not more than 30 will be owned by actually needed youth rather relatives rubber stumped by actual PF true owners and may be less than 10 will equally come from same scenario but MMD chaps somehow affiliated to Sata one way or the other and may be less than five will be the true intended real benefactors of the intended project…. the rest will later begin to hear mysteriously disappear through corruption unreal bureaucracy…mark my words
HAHAHAHA!!!!!! Cannot wait to see the criteria to be used on distribution and management. Wako ni wako
I do not know, don’t get me wrong. My only worry is that the buses in Zambia are way too many and there is too much accidents caused by buses. Should we not be thinking of means to reducinig this number of buses??? The public transport in Zambia has gone beyond the saturation point. I have not been in Zambia since 2007 but I am sure by now the buses are a lot. In 2007 I remember the buses had reached over a saturation point what more now 2013? Moving from Chelstone to town was taking long because of buses all over. I suggest GRZ gives loans to do with commercial farming. Kaya please don’t kill me with arguments I have just pu in my thoughts.
Thanks
In as much as it is a good gesture, i get your point, if they can search for new talent and groom the youths in various technical and managerial projects, tgings would be balanced, concetrating on one easy project wouldnt help our economy that much. Its about time people realised that such ventures are not entirely for free, something gotta give and in return, strong positive results should be expected, therefore, just like i stated in my comment which is being moderated, can someone ensure than things are balanced so the country can benefit equally?
even private owned tax owners do this sometimes.Why are we always negative.Zambia National soccer is playing brazil next month.I know some of you will condemn this move.
HAS THE GOVT DONE ITS HOMEWORK ON SUCH A HUGE PROJECT. THERE ARE ALOT OF THINGS WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION SUCH AND MANAGERIAL SKILLS, FINANCIAL DISCPLINE AND CAPACITY TO SUSTAIN THE OPERATIONS IN ORDER TO PAY BACK. SUPPOSE ONE IS OWNING 1 UNIT AND IT BREAKS DOWN OR GET INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN HAPPENS TO SCHEDULED PAYMENTS. THE GOVT SHOULD NOT JUST THROW MONEY IN BOTTOMLESS PIT. ITS TO DEAL WITH ALREADY EXISTING OPERATORS AND THOSE WHO ARE SERIOUS BUSINESS MINDED.
Echo kwabela Insurance, it is to cover for eventualities. In case you did not know, even a loan can be insured.
GBM,working underground to make sure Wynter goes
Now you are doing what you are supposed to do, adding various dynamic projects will be a plus, my suggestion is…. dont just concetrate on those with limited expertise, Empower even those highly qualified Youths as well as individual Zambians with dreams and ambitions, who have limited resources to spear head their projects, by doing so you are not only going to Empower the nation but secure a brighter future for Mother Zambia, especially that Debts have to be paid back.
Before i forget, could you also make sure the entire zambia benefits from this? Please dont concetrate on areas where you expect to be voted for, the minute you realise this, the easier it will be for you to secure a 2016 ticket to plot one!
Yeah…. very nice of you LT, congratulations for moderating my comment!
why begin with Eastern Province? why not begin with Southern province this time?
@ PM and Ingombe, Having a PSV lisence is a skill in itself. A PSV license plus a Bus begets income.
As Ok has said private individuals are already doing this for their drivers. I sold my toyota hiace minibus to the driver under a similar arrangement when I left Zed. The driver completed paying for it in 1 year 8 months, and I understand he’s doing fine.
It’s time the government came in and hopefully the quality and standard of the buses improve.
its a non starter to start with they are fong kong busesyou will mark my words this is not sustainable,we dont have sound government financial institution to sustain this,just look at malupenga and unwto guys open your minds,empower youths to produce raw materials not giving them buses,myopic politics.
At face value its a good move…only time will tell
Gifts to PF cadres. We will see how many UPND or MMD cadres who will be empowered.
this strategy has been tried before and it has repeatedly failed time and time again.first,the govt does not think through the all thing properly with the kind of brainstorming it deserves.second,the criteria of picking eligible person is always marred in curruption,nepotism,political connections etc.no meritocracy whatsoever.lastly even when some are capable of paying back the govt has no idea on how to collect back the monies couple this with political interference and the outcome can only be failure.rather you train these youths with other skills.
Indeed this party is full of dull people. Buses are a wasting asset. Does little if any to surge national economy or alleviate poverty in zambia especially with poor road infrastructure that Zambia has. Panji take your dullness to your farm. Who sanctioned the purchase of such buses, please lessen the confusion in the country. This generation of politicians should step down in the best interest of the country. Their calibre is way way behind what is expected in this day and age.
You are spot on. This is a failed project. These Kaponya drivers will not manage to maintain these huge Higer buses. I know of one successful transporter in Luapula who stopped using these type of buses after facing serious challenges.
Thugs can’t repay loans ask kambwili how many have paid back the youth empowerment fund?
Stop looking down upon them i di ots. Zambia will never be Eygpt where they seem not to know what they want.Who told u that these drivers are blunk as u put it? SHAME ON DEMONS!ARMCHAIR CRITICS! Anything pf u can’t appreciate .Sick minds!
The most dull Zambians are those that claim to be highly educated,intelligent,wise and knowledgeble when they hardly ve nothing to show. Know dat de idea is fantestic wat dey nid; management skills.Make questions in dat area nd not jst yapping.