Traders, who benefited from the presidential empowerment fund initiative, have testified that their businesses have greatly improved.
Association of Vendors, Traders and Marketeers of Zambia president Fredrick Tembo said the association was therefore optimistic that re-election of President Edgar Lungu will enable the empowerment fund to continue.
Mr. Tembo said his association was hopeful that the initiative will be extended to other marketeers that did not benefit before the 2016 elections.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Tembo said this at a press briefing held in Ndola today.
He further said the association will engage the newly elected local government leaders to ensure that there was cleanliness in markets in the Copperbelt province.
Mr. Tembo said the association executive team will also engage all its members to get their needs of development in their trading areas.
And speaking at the same briefing, Chifubu market chairman Musonda Mushota said over a 100 marketeers from seven groups at the market who benefited from the presidential empowerment fund initiative, have expanded their businesses.
Mr. Mushota has since implored government to provide equal job opportunities for all Zambians.
Markeeters deserves this. They are the backbone of the economy. Those Mama’s feeding and keeping their families on their entrepreneurial efforts is a thing of pride all over Africa. It’s time they were supported with more than just praise. They are major contributors to GDP.
Do they pay tax…this is the problem – you are talking as if this is a shop with employees contributing to a pension scheme but its the black market. This is a sign of no vision and simply a way to bribe voters…clear sign of no roadmap…imagine a President dishing out microloans.
Public money disbursed outside the law is theft,presidential initiative should be seen in the proper management of national resources not how he distributes public money to his friends and relatives.This is what is causing undemocratic practices because it would be difficult for our humble president to account for money he has been giving out like it has just come into fashion.
LETS WAIT AND SEE. POVERTY IS REAL WHILE WE WASTE TIME & MONEY “CELEBRATING”
PLEASE CAMPAIGNS ARE OVER QUIT THESE LIES NOW.
So how much has been paid back from these hand outs!!
No need to call this presidential empowerment because the money is not coming from the president. tthey use prsident as campaign too. just call it GRZ empowerment fund.
Have they been paying back the funds as intended? Is the fund sustainable or will it continously need to be endowed?
However long it takes, perhaps even 10, 20, 30, 50 years, the one who breached Article 104(3) and those who helped him will face Lady Justice.
The wheels of justice turn slowly. They do turn. A crime has no expiry date and it cannot be legislated away. This crime will not go away, it has been done. Retribution follows.
Thieves,Liars,drunkards,murderers,hypocrites…
but who are buying from them ,since the general citizenery buying power has drastically bein eroded by poor leadership. they needed to promote the prodution side and not the consumption side,its like giving fish to them instead of showing and teaching them how to do fishing /farming it self. This(freebies) can not be sustained.