By CHILA NAMAIKO –
MINISTRY of National Development Planning Permanent Secretary Chola Chabala has said the country’s textile industry, being labour-intensive, has potential to continue creating new employment opportunities at all stages of its value chain.
Mr Chabala said it was for reason that the Government was revamping the textile and cashew nut industries which would create more than 10,000 permanent jobs for Zambians in the next five years with a clear intent for creating jobs for youths.
He said Zambia’s textile industry, if well-harnessed, had capacity to contribute significantly to the economic development of the country while creating wealth at all stages of its value chain.
Mr Chabala said, according to the Government’s industrialisation and job creation strategy, the textile industry was capable of creating 4,100 new jobs, thus it was beginning with the revival of Mulungushi Textiles to provide a ready market for cotton growers in Eastern, Central and Southern provinces.
“The cashew nut industry, if fully supported and revived, can benefit more than 60,000 smallholder farmers and create about 6,000 full-time jobs, in the process raising household incomes, reducing poverty and contributing to foreign exchange earnings through export of cashew nuts,” Mr Chabala said.
He said this yesterday when he appeared before a Parliamentary Committee on Youth, Sports and Child Affairs chaired by United Party for National Development (UPND) Kalabo Central Member of Parliament (MP) Chinga Miyutu.
Mr Chabala was submitting to the ‘Committee on youth unemployment: What is being done to enhance partnership between the public and private sector provision of decent jobs to the youth?’
He said the Government was also carrying out feasibilities in various parts of the country such as Luapula, Muchinga and Southern provinces for cashew nuts, among other viable projects for investment.
Another sector the Government was reviving was the fruit processing industry in the country to enable it contribute to economic and food security.
Mr Chabala said if well-supported, the industries could benefit smallholder farmers and create more jobs while raising household incomes and reducing poverty.
Wusakile Independent MP Payvuma Kalobo implored the Government to put in more measures to strengthen collection of taxes from the mining companies.
Meanwhile, Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) director Michael Chilala told the Committee on Education, Science and Technology chaired by Patriotic Front (PF) Lubanseshi MP George Mwamba that community schools had contributed greatly towards education provision to many learners, and that the Council had been working with police’s forensic department to trace teachers aiding pupils on examination malpractices.