By BRIAN HATYOKA –

RENOWNED Lusaka-based entrepreneurship consultant Windu Matoka has urged Zambians to cultivate a culture of saving and investing money to enable them prepare for befitting retirement and other future eventualities.
Mr Matoka, who was retired last year as Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) director of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) division, said there was need for Zambians to develop a habit of always spending less than what they earned.
He noted that a lot of people had a habit of not saving money and in turn they ended up being destitute when they retired or when their employment was terminated.
Mr Matoka said this in his presentation in Livingstone at Chrismar Hotel on Saturday night when he officiated at a fundraising dinner hosted by Livingstone Central Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church.
He said most workers, especially those in formal employment, were scared to leave employment because they were not saving and reinvesting their resources.
“We need to develop a habit of saving as well as planning and budgeting before we spend what we earn.
“I know of former Permanent Secretaries and other high ranking officials who have nothing and have been reduced to beggars simply because they failed to make savings when they were working,” Mr Matoka said.
He said he was not depressed or disturbed when he received a letter of termination of his employment at ZDA last year because he had already made savings which could sustain him in an event of such an eventuality.
Mr Matoka said there was need for people to identify viable business plans and start developing the ideas to prepare for retirement.
Mr Matoka said there was need for citizens to seek entrepreneurship skills to enable them prepare for retirement.