The Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund (PEIF) initiated by President Edgar Lungu last year as a vehicle for poverty alleviation through empowerment of traders has disbursed a K12 million to vendors and marketeers across the country.
An additional 4,000 bicycles valued at K4 million and 40 motor cycles valued at K800,000 has also been distributed as part of this on-going national empowerment initiative.
This was disclosed by PEIF Chief Executive Officer, Mr Joseph Chilinda during the handover of 150 bicycles to traders in Mporokoso and Chilubula over the weekend.
And more than 400 traders in Mporokoso are earmarked to start receiving interest free cash loans through National Savings Bank during the course of this week following completion of the details verification exercise.
Mr Chilinda, who was accompanied by the PEIF Patron Chanda Kabwe who is also Kitwe District Commissioner and President of the Association of Vendors and Marketeers in Zambia Able Chikwa explained that the initiative was making a huge difference and had greatly helped hundreds of traders to boost their businesses.
“From the feedback that we are getting, we are happy that this programme is changing a lot of lives. Bicycles for example are making it easy for traders to transport their merchandise, thereby reducing the cost of doing business, improving levels of income and profitability,” he explained.
Mr Chilinda appealed to the traders to pay back the interest-free loans in the stipulated time so that the money could be given to other traders in order that more people could benefit from the initiative.
And Mr Kabwe told the traders that President Lungu had the interests of vendors and marketeers at heart and wanted to see them empowered because they played an important role in the economy of the country.
Meanwhile, the Association of Vendors and Marketeers in Zambia has paid glowing tribute to President Lungu for being very passionate about the vendors and marketeers and for coming up with the empowerment initiative which was changing the lives of the marketeers.
“For a long time now our cry as vendors and marketeers has been with regard to the difficulties and challenges we face in accessing capital and transporting our goods. We are glad that Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu has been the first President to respond to our cries and came up with this empowerment fund in addition to the many developmental projects that he is implementing across the country,” said Mr Chikwa.
And the recipients of the bicycles in Mporokoso and Chilubula praised President Lungu for caring about the vendors and marketeers.
“I would like to thank the President for this initiative. We used to struggle a lot to raise capital and to transport our goods from one point to another. But now with this help us a lot. We have hope that things will be better,” said Mr Katai, a bicycle recipient.
This wont buy Lungu votes, he should ask RB
Taking responsibility with compassion on the welfare of the most vulnerable that includes, the old, widows, orphans, disabled and children is noble and most honorable thing to do. Big salutation your excellency!
Had con-artists of Depak Patel, Chitalu, and Hichilema not indulged in amoral complicity with Binani hindustuns and South African Boers in a memorable betrayal of national trust, Luanshya MP, Cameron Pwele and millions of our mining veterans would not have died hopelessly. The millions Zambians whom selfless leadership of Lungu is endeavoring to uplift should have been much better had criminals not reigned. Those in complicity of this unparalleled economic sabotage have blood of Zambians on their heads. In no way do they deserve public trust till they publicly apologize and reparate Zambians.
A Vote for HH is a vote for Domestic Violence
If HH had any moral values he would not have chosen GBM as his running mate. No self respecting Zambian woman should vote for this team!
Make a stand against domestic violence now!
That’s nonsense ,why not channel money through proper channels like Community development.Really are you serious in Zambia.How do you account for this money?This is nothing else but corruption written all over the donations.
If ECZ could arrest, the one could get life sentence was Edgar.
You can’t BUY votes in broad day like that.
ACC are useless, where did Edgar get such exorbitant amounts to buy off marketers?
Is that the money which has divided PF secretariat?
@Nubian, just stop. GBM is GBM, well respected by the same traders your Lungu is wasting resources on.
And it looks like your Lungu get slapped by his wrong wife.
I am on a short visit to Zambia. On the way from the airport to Matero East, I passed through Kwamwena Meanwood and then through the road passing next to SOS. I witnessed political intimidation at its worst. I have voted in many previous elections but I ever witnessed what I saw on Saturday. There was a car in front of us with men/boys sitting on the windows waving the PF symbol and flags. They were dressed in PF regalia including gloves and one of them was carrying and waving what looked like a big belt ready to whip somebody. The people looked scared and I could see them raising their fists in fear. On the SOS wall fence there were posters of Mr. Lungu while I could see clearly that the rest were torn away. Is this the level Zambia has reached? The little respect I had for PF has…
And more than 400 traders in Mporokoso are earmarked………………….. Finally this president has leave up to his words of giving government support bias to his perceived strong holders. This approach is very divisive and should not be tolerated at all cost. Time for PF to leave has come. What makes the marketeers in one place or province special, he should realize that this not the right way of doing things.
LUNGU HAS ALREADY WON. AUGUST 11 NI CONFIRMATION CHABE!!!!!!!!!!!!
SC, selective memory there. Why leave out Francis Kaunda and Michael Sata, but quick to include HH who was actually hired like many whites you fear to mention?
Tell me who valuated KCM?
At least he is in charge of the vendors desk to see for himself
Only the Patriotic Front means well for the majority Zambians. Kudos to you Mr President. These are our people.
You have shamed the UPND haters, Kaponya (HH) and his Boer mafia crew.
That job will soon be lost Mr Kudos, you do not deserve it.
A Leader who buys people’s vote by brides is not worth to be president. Us the true founders of PF never used money thats how we beat RB. Sata is turning in his grave that this traitor Lungu the richest man in Zambia worth K190 Million wife K46 Million has taken Zambians for fools. Please eat the money but vote wisely.
Infintu is stealing, no wonder his supporters can only fight not argue because the leader is very dull. Sata could debate with his humble education now this one Ati Ba Lawyer.
You think bicycles can buy Votes???? HH continue hammering the Don’t Kubeba message. PF is using stolen cash for these things AS WVIDENCED BY THE RECORDING BEWTEEN CHIKWANDA NAD CHAMA. So Zambians get these for free as much as you can, its your tax payers money being stolen..on the voting day MUNTU TAYA, NDLAMA TENGA. Muntu Tay, ndalama Tenga. That’s why when HH comes in power will PROSECUTE THEM TO THE LAST DROP OF THEIR BLOOD for THEFT AND LOOTING.
Cadres aweh mwandi they support everything. Why do you worship human beings kanshi!!!!
Now at least you know where that USD 2.3Mil came from.
BTW, who does financial controls over PEIF, is there any independent Parliamentary committee which overlooks on how this money is spent? Otherwise, PEIF could be one of those Presidential “private banks”, where he can spend how he wants.
Is this PEIF acceptable?
Pure and simple — VOTE BUYING!
If Lungu had any honesty it would have been called –
The Poor Zambian Taxpayers Kaloba fund!
When are Zambians going to wake up and realize PF is just a get-rich-quick scheme to BORROW AND STEAL!
Nothing “presidential” about that.
Traders will do WATERMELON!
Is UPND a party or Tongastun……..?
1MBECILE
MCS started by allowing salaula hawkers to trade all over the streets of Lusaka and now this chibuku lover is encouraging this chaotic and messy business again to ruin our once clean and orderly towns. I weep for Zed.
All of a sudden Chakolwa Kaloba Wrungu is now rich. Sonta eko wafumya indalama iwe Chakolwa.
I wish sensible honest people with the country’s interests at heart would stand up against this selfsame rotten Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund its corrupt and its not audited by the AG’s office; How do you start handing out interest free loans with 14 days to General Elections? This is the laziness I talk about this bum Edgar..all these costs will be passed on to the taxpayers as these people will never pay back this.
This is also an easy way for any incumbent to enrich themselves by procuring products from single sourced suppliers at grossly inflated prices…as no one audits it.
@8. I think whatever you are saying is stale. Zambians are tired of tribal rubbish and want to move forward.
He’s not worth your breath! Don’t respond to such minions because they will drag you to their low life level and defeat you with their experience in imbecility.
Some people are just not redeemable. No matter how much ransom you pay for their misery. They choose a life of intellectual wretchedness.
….here we are just from a deceiving so called national prayers and some one is sawing seeds of violence….this purely vote buying…who would blame the opposition if they had to revolt…reject results…what was the purpose of those prayers if some one can violate election code of practice with impunity 2wks before casting votes….where are you LAZ..ECZ..EU…NGOs…Jesus on a bicycle…
Imagine yesterday the lazy bum was praying today he is bribing people for his personal gain!!
With three weeks to go they distributed land and presidential empowerment funding? Come on people! Were we not born without a brain? Where was this money all that time? Does Lungu only think about doing something for the poor if it benefits him? This is what we call a trade off. He gives them funding. They vote for him. But its peoples money and have 100% right to that money. Shame that most of these marketeers now perceive and look at Lungu like a God or saviour when he is abusing them. I despise people who take advantage of the poor especially the most vulnerable in society such as youth, women, the disabled and children. Hope Lungu took care of disabled people and fixed roofs on schools and supplied books, chairs and tables.
@Nubian Princess please keep in mind that GBM just crossed over not too long ago. He was doing those activities while in PF and how most were aware of him beating Chama to a pulp. Why did you not say anything then? We do not condone GBV and monitoring GBM. If I may remind you he has not been involved in this activity whilst in UPND. Yes it was the wrong for HH to chose him but if we are to run anyone under the bus its PF who condoned GBV all those years he was in their party. PF have Kanene as their GBV ambassador who performs for and at PF campaigns to even getting pictured with Tasila Lungu. A pardoned rapist who brutalized women after his release. A child rapist worshiped by PF and Lungu. If you are pointing fingers, at least point at the right party.
100%
@ ALINASWE
FOCUS ON THE DISCUSSION. OPEN YOUR EYES AND SMELL THE COFFEE.
Zambia: PF Lawyer Banned Over Client Funds
Southern AfricaZambia
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PATRIOIC Front chairperson for the committee on legal affairs Edgar Lungu has been suspended from practising as a lawyer with immediate effect on allegations of misappropriating money meant for retirees of Lafarge which was formerly known as Chilanga cement plc.
This is according to a letter dated July 30, 2010 and signed by Law Association of Zambia(LAZ) honorary secretary Musa Mwenye and copied to all relevant institutions and individuals that deal with lawyers.
No matter what, the man is lovable by all ZM
Is that why only a few people attended the much publicised prayers lead by lungu in lusaka ?
Just accept, even at lungus PF rallies without musicians the PF would have to pay people to attend.
Delusion is the right word for you Terrible. The political alignment of yours has not speared you levels of thinking.
What are traders? Small scale business people? Entrepreneurs? Marketeers?
1) What was the basis of giving money to the each trader.
2) Secondly what bring this issue during election.
3) You gave 12 million how many people live in poverty in Zambia?
4) Those who received the money how are you going to check if this scheme is beneficial?
A corrupt leader
Why traders and marketeers all the time? Are they the only Zambians who need empowering? Even from Chiluba’s days of ‘Vendors’Desk’ and now this nonsense continues. What about the employees, farmers and students???
Nga fwe ma retirees, when are we going to be empowered kanshi? We also have children and have ourselves now become vulnerable…!
At Soweto Market PF Cadre anarchy is beyond belief. When a farmer brings his produce, he’s not allowed to directly sell it to traders. The cadres grab it & sell it on his behalf. The cadres then give the farmer “whatever they feel like” or even just stories.
Voting for PF is handing power to unruly illiterate cadres who are a product of failed education & socio-economic systems. Zambians will only have themselves to blame.
We need to start a new page of rebuilding the quality of our Zambian Youth. The image of the desired youth is employable, literate, skilled, cultured & well mannered youth.
Does anyone remember “Take their money and gifts but Donchi Kubeba.”?
HH is also promising to do the same if he is voted as a president, what do say Mary and you criticizers who do not want to see other people happy. ECL is clearing the mess HH caused especially in the copper-belt.
GET ALL THE MONEY THEY GIVE YOU. SAY THANK YOU SIR.
NOW GO AND VOTE FOR THE GOODS YOU HAVE RECEIVED AND REMEMBER MEALI MEAL IS GOING UP BY NEW YEAR. IN 2017 PRICES WILL BE K170 for 25KG BAG. K250 FOR 50KG BAG.
WE ARE GIVING YOU MORE MONEY. VOTE WISELY AND YOU WILL ALL HAVE MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKETS – ALL TAX FREE FROM THE PRESIDENT
DON’T LOOK SHY. GREET THE PRESIDENTS HAND. IT IS RARE THAT YOU SEE HIM. GO ON LOOK AT YOUR PRESIDENT. HE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIVES LIKE HE DID HIS.
TAKE THE MONEY, AND BE HAPPY. LOOK HAPPY
Stop urguing please. Kwa yalungula
it’s a nice initiative but traders are wise people and will not want to payback this money. It’s convenient to vote for UPND