CEEC is no income-generating ‘messiah’, says Mung’omba

CEEC is no income-generating ‘messiah’, says Mung’omba
Written by Moses Kuwema
Saturday, April 11, 2009 5:49:59 AM

CITIZENS Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) director general Mable Mung’omba has said the commission has not come to be a messiah for income generating.

Speaking when she addressed Chongwe residents on Thursday, Mung’omba said the CEEC was not an income generating activity, adding that people needed to come together and make enterprises. She said the CEEC will not give money to businesses that were not formalised.

“You need to formalise your businesses if you want to acquire these loans because this will help you from doing things which are out of your business,” she said.

Mung’omba called on Zambians to have a supportive culture by buying goods from whoever comes up with a viable project. She said Zambia was not poor as was being portrayed.

“Zambia is not poor because most of the money is in people’s houses. Government only considers monies in banks and even the World Bank when they come up with their statistics on which countries are rated at what position in terms of riches, they don’t go to homes to see how much is kept,” Mung’omba said.

“We have talked enough. Let’s change the language from ‘no we are poor’. Let’s not give an opportunity to other people to exploit our wealth. We should be able to demonstrate empowerment.”

And Chongwe MMD member of parliament Sylvia Masebo said people in her constituency had difficulties understanding the application forms for the CEEC funds. And Masebo called on people in her constituency to concentrate on small businesses.

She said Chongwe was a very rich district in terms of minerals but people in the area had failed to exploit the resources.

“We have been lacking resources to exploit these riches we have. People would like to invest in the road sector, and this can help in the creation of jobs by ourselves,” said Masebo.