Maravi

‘Poverty has continued to bite Zambia’

‘Poverty has continued to bite Zambia’
By Henry Sinyangwe
Sat 27 Mar. 2010, 04:00 CAT

POVERTY has continued to bite Zambia despite the positive economic indicators, transport and communications minister Prof Geoffrey Lungwangwa has said.

During the 44th Annual General Meeting of the Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) yesterday, Prof Lungwangwa said this was not healthy as it bred bad vices which did not encourage investment thereby leading to abject poverty.

“You will agree with me that poverty has continued to bite our nation despite the positive economic indicators,” he said.

“This is in turn not healthy for the employers and workers alike, because the situation breeds insecurity, crime and other evils all of which do not encourage investment but instead driving it away thereby completing the vicious circle which in turn results into abject poverty.”

Prof Lungwangwa urged the private sector to create more jobs so as to ameliorate the impacts of the global economic crisis.

He said the government would continue to provide an enabling environment for business to attract investors who would retain their investment in Zambia.

Prof Lungwangwa said there was need for all employers to join the Zambia Federation of Employers as it would enhance social dialogue and allow the government deal directly with their concerns and interests.

And ZFE president Dr George Chabwera said labour inspection was a critical tool for the implementation of labour laws.

He said many employers violated labour laws because they were not being inspected by officers from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security due to inadequate resources.

And Dr Chabwera said it was necessary for the economy to be robust in order to accommodate over 300,000 annual new entrants on the job market.

Dr Chabwera said this could only be achieved with an annual growth rate of over 80 per cent hence the need to make Zambia the most preferred investment destination.

He said there was need for the government to reintroduce apprenticeship training as it would address the core issue of basic skills that had resulted in the importation of such skills.

Dr Chabwera said ZFE was concerned that up to now the country did not have adequate provisions for social security.

Labels: GEOFFREY LUNGWANGWA, POVERTY

posted by MrK @ 2:52 PM