By JAMES KUNDA –

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has sanctioned the release of US$30 million from the recently-acquired $1.25 billion Eurobond for youth empowerment programmes, Youth and Sports Deputy Minister Ronald Chitotela has said.
Mr Chitotela said President Lungu directed the Treasury to release the money to empower youths with strategies that would allow them generate fresh income as well create jobs for themselves.
Mr Chitotela said this when he featured on ZNBC’s Sunday Interview programme on Sunday evening.
He made the remarks in response to a question on how the Government would create the targeted 500,000 jobs for the youth by the end of next year.
His ministry had since directed youth coordinators countrywide to facilitate the creation of youth-run cooperatives that would be provided with loans upon submission of workable business proposals.
Mr Chitotela said the funding, which was separate from the Youth Development Fund (YDF), would allow young people access multi-business contracts in sectors such as manufacturing and construction.
“His Excellency has directed the Treasury to release $30 million to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for empowerment programmes. This money will be given to young people in cooperatives to enable them execute income generating business ventures,” he said.
The Government has also directed the Road Development Agency (RDA) to ensure that youth-led enterprises are accorded an opportunity to bid for contracts under the Pave Zambia 2000 project.
Mr Chitotela said youth-led enterprises would be given preferential tax and bidding requirements to ease the procedure of accessing the projects.
“Our target group is the youth from any background regardless of educational standards or political affiliation. We are optimistic that this is a sure way of achieving the job creation target,” Mr Chitotela said.
He said the Government was planning ahead for the youth, hence projects such as the construction of new public universities were taking course.
Mr Chitotela said sustainable development could only be achieved if incumbent leaders planned ahead of time.
“Challenges of youth unemployment resonate from poor planning by past leaders but the Patriotic Front (PF) under the leadership of President Lungu has resolved to plan ahead for a better tomorrow,” he said.