Failure To Pay Back Youth Empowerment Loans Disappoints PAC

18 youth groups that were granted loans under the Youth Empowerment programme by the Ministry of Youth and Sport in 2022 in Kapiri Mposhi, Central Province, have not paid back the money to the government.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is disappointed that the loans were not secured as the beneficiaries of the loans were not availed forms to sign as proof that they had benefited from the empowerment programme.

PAC Chairperson, Warren Mwambazi, said this when PAC paid a courtesy call on Central Province Minister Princess Kasune in Kabwe, that the officers engaged in the disbursement of the loans which came in form of buses, agriculture inputs and equipment, have since been cautioned to address the concern.

Mr Mwambazi said the responsible officers could go back to the beneficiaries and make them sign the forms which he said should state the value of the equipment or inputs.

“This will help make it clear how much money the cooperatives are required to pay back,” he said.

He stated that a total of 56 cooperatives benefitted from the empowerment fund in Central Province and that some of the resources were disbursed through Provincial Administration.

Mr Mwambazi said the office of the Auditor General in Central Province would be required to get the documentation for verification to ensure that the funds are secured.

“They are loans and they should be paid back, regardless of how they were disbursed so that others can benefit,” he said.
Mr Mwambazi also highlighted that the committee would also visit Chibombo district where construction of a police station stalled.

And Ms Kasune stressed the need to investigate why the construction of the police station stalled 50 percent below completion stage when the contractor was paid over 60 percent of the contract sum.

“We need to understand why there is a discrepancy because the amount paid is supposed to match the amount of work that was done,” she said.

Ms Kasune also commended PAC for playing its oversight role on behalf of the public which she said helped ensure proper utilization of public resources.