Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary, John Mulongoti, has said government will continue to promote trade and investments as well as enterprise development to stimulate economic development in the country.
Mr. Mulongoti says government realises that formal employment alone cannot absorb all the graduates coming from colleges and universities hence the need to promote entrepreneurship.
He said this in a speech read for him by the Director of Industry in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Sunday Chikoti during the She-rebuilds the world meeting organised by the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) in partnership with Latvia business experts in Lusaka today.
He noted that government would like to see a good number of programmes that support the women folk so that they are not left out in economic activities.
Mr. Mulongoti added that government appreciates initiatives from stakeholders such as Latvia, which are aimed at inculcating the culture of entrepreneurship especially for young women.
He explained that there is a need for a mind-set change among young women to always look at alternatives to formal jobs, adding that government alone cannot employ everyone.
“We are looking forward to seeing experience sharing between the two countries, Zambia and Latvia, in areas such as country branding and diaspora engagements to attract foreign direct investment,” he said.
And ZDA Acting Director General, Albert Halwampa said women empowerment is critical in fostering social economic development in the country.
Mr. Halwampa revealed that ZDA is happy for the partnership with Latvia business experts, who offer business expertise to young women.
He said linking Zambian women with the rest of the world will empower them with entrepreneurial skills.
He further said the ZDA partnership with Latvia will make young women financially viable by coming up with job creation instincts to foster development in the country.
“ZDA believes in the adage which says; ‘empower a woman then you empower the whole world’, speaks volumes for young women that will soon start creating jobs for others for their sustenance.
He said the partnership was the beginning of better things to come in terms of actualising the job creation concept which in turn adds to the gross domestic product (GDP).
Earlier, Latvia Board Member of diaspora organisation, Ieva Jakobsone said her organisation has identified 30 young women in Zambia who will be given entrepreneurial and business skills to transform their economic status.
Ms. Jakobsone said Lativia supports young women with business knowledge for them to succeed in their personal endeavours.
She said the objective of her organisation is to link young women to specialised business training and make them realise their dreams of becoming employers in future.
Latvia, a small country in Europe, supports young women in entrepreneurial skills in selected countries such as Zambia and Namibia to acquire economic skills.
As a man who has travelled the world, I can assure you these Latvian women are very seksy ,but kuno kuma uk they work normally as prostitutes. Be careful what you learn from those.
Crispin kalonga
Pf member
Youths have been receiving a lot of empowerment! We are not seeing anything ..empower even elders
But boys and men , i think its almost time we also start Boys/Men empowerment groups, because this Women empowerment for girls/women only is slowly becoming a segregation issue – just watch it. Soon even houses to rent they will be saying “Women only”, there will in future be Women-only Banks, Shopping malls, even communities. It now starting to look like the Agenda is to eliminate men. Cos women its women,women everywhere, how about the person thats funding the same projects who happen to be men? You will get their money and then kill them or what?