By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
THE Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has created a database for small scale stone crushers to be accessed by various contractors in the country.
Recently, ZDA disclosed that, it will start linking small scale stone crushers to housing and commercial developers under the green jobs initiative.
ZDA enterprise development director Mukula Makasa said a database had been created at ZDA on all the small scale stone crushers.
“In terms of where are we on linking small scale stone crushers to housing and commercial developers under the green jobs initiative, we have just created a database and hand over to the green jobs initiative,” Mr Makasa said.
He said other contractors would also be able to access them which he said was going to increase supplying opportunities.
With the massive construction going on in the country, stone suppliers had a lot of opportunities to supply their products if they were a coordinated market.
Mr Makasa has reiterated his call to those running small businesses such as stone crushers to register to acquire certificates of operations from Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) and ZDA to access supply and financial facilities.
“Let’s put our heads together to move the country forward, the challenges we are going through as a country is not insurmountable,
let us find solutions and stop complaining,” he said.
Recently  the International Labour Organisation (ILO) office for Zambia on behalf of five United Nations agencies),the  International
Trade Centre, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development signed a 5,730,000 euros  about K 41,026,800 ,agreement with the
Government of Finland to finance the green job project in Zambia.
The UN agencies also  included  International Labour Organisation (ILO), Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) and United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) to enhance competitiveness and sustainable business among Small and Medium Enterprises in the Zambian building construction industry dubbed the Zambia Green Jobs Programme.
The programme aims to create at least 5,000 jobs particularly for youth entrepreneurs, improving the incomes of at least 8,000
households and improve the quality of at least 2,000 jobs in the MSME sector.