Ministry Of Small Medium Enterprise Development Will Help The Youth Engage In The Economy

The Luapula Chamber of Commerce, Trade and Industry (LCCTI) has praised President Hakainde Hichilema’s decision to create the Ministry of Small Medium sized Enterprise Development.

LCCTI President, Emmanuel Musanje says he hopes the ministry will serve as the main framework to bring together interventions in various sectors of the economy in order to create jobs and reduce poverty in the country.

In a recent interview Mr Musanje said that the new ministry is aimed at Zambia’s young work force who he feels need to actively participate in the economic transformation of the country.

“This new ministry is a target to the youths to say that whatever you are good at, do it to the best of your ability, because when you look at the procurement, there will be preference to buy from the enterprising youths locally,” he said.

Mr Musanje added that when the government begins to procure from small and medium enterprise the youth should take advantage of this new opportunity, encouraging them to polish up their dreams and skills. 

“I know that this time around there will be access to finance because for a long time it was a general thing whereby, the SMEs were competing with huge enterprises and they were overshadowed, but now with this proposed SME ministry it will make the youths think outside the box” he said.

Meanwhile, Mansa Village Industry Tenants Association (MAVISTA) Secretary General, Nathan Ng’andwe said the small-scale entrepreneurs at the village industry are hopeful that the proposed Ministry of Small Medium Enterprises will help their businesses to grow through the various economic policies that the government will implement.

“Now we have our own ministry that will look at small enterprises like ours, here at the village industry we have many talents such as carpentry, shoe making, mechanics and many others that will now be looking to this new ministry to support them so that they too can contribute to the GDP of the country,” he said.

Mr. Ng’andwe urges that the small-scale entrepreneurs should not be politicized as this has historically prevented their growth.

“In the past there was a lot of political interference which largely suffocated these small enterprises, but now with the new government we are hopeful that such will not happen as the small enterprises will be the engine for economic recovery in the country,” he said.