By STEPHEN KAPAMBWE –
THE Government has commended Zambian Breweries for launching an ambitious multi-million Kwacha sustainable development programme that will support over 13,000 small-scale enterprises in the country by 2020.
Commerce Permanent Secretary Siazongo Siakalenge commended the SABMiller subsidiary for working with the Zambia Federation of Associations of Women in Business (ZFAWIB) to train more than 500 women entrepreneurs in entrepreneurship and business development services.
The training will be done during the commemoration of the 2014 Month of the Woman Entrepreneur.
Mr Siakalenge said on Friday when he launched the Prosper programme which coincided with the commemoration of Month of the Woman Entrepreneur by ZFAWIB at the Government complex in Lusaka.
The decision by Zambian Breweries to target women who represent society’s lowest income earners and disadvantaged groups would complement the vision of the Government to create decent work and wealth creation in the country.
He said Governments was working towards improving opportunities for women’s access to empowerment funds and working capital finance to encourage them to explore entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities.
In its efforts to encourage entrepreneurship among women, the Government in 2013 approved a total of 1,526 projects through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) amounting to K98 million.
About 36 per cent of the approved projects and the monies went towards women through the Chilimba Market Product, Skills Development Initiatives and Access to Markets through Business Linkages support, among others.
Zambian Breweries managing director Anele Malumo said the company would support up to 5,500 businesses in the agriculture sector, 190 enterprises in its distribution value chain, 2,900 enterprises in its retailer programme and 5,000 women entrepreneurs by 2020.
He said 500 women entrepreneurs across the country were also being trained through ZFAWIB in entrepreneurship and business development services during the course of the 2014 Month of the Woman Entrepreneur.
The training services have been provided to women in Mansa in Luapula Province, Kasama in Northern Province, Sesheke and Shang’ombo in Western Province, Ndola in the Copperbelt Province, Serenje in Central Province and Lusaka in Lusaka Province.