Maureen asks policy makers to find lasting economic solutions

Maureen asks policy makers to find lasting economic solutions
By Agness Changala
Mon 05 July 2010, 04:40 CAT

FORMER first Lady Maureen Mwanawasa has asked policy makers to move their energies and potential towards finding sustainable solutions to the economic challenges the country is facing. And Maureen urged the youths to contribute to bringing about the change they want.

Addressing youths during Miss Nelson Mandela 2010 in Lusaka on Saturday, Maureen observed that finding solutions would allow people to afford to put food on the table, educate their children and attend to their medical needs.

She said policy makers must ensure budgetary allocation to education was seen as an investment to solve the challenges of poverty, hunger and diseases.

“Education must be affordable and accessible and Zambia can achieve this,” Maureen said. “The much celebrated natural resources in our country must be channelled to issues like education, health, access to water and shelter so that we can make a difference to the lives of the people.”

Maureen said this would allow a situation where access to education becomes open to all young people to allow them to gain knowledge that could open any door socially, economically, politically and technologically.

She said youths were an investment for Zambia, and that this should be embedded in the minds of policy makers and never at anytime regard them as a liability.

“Zambia must boast to have 68 per cent of its population as young people, a resource which must be nurtured and add value to it through creating an enabling environment for them to develop in all spheres of human endevour,” she said.

Maureen said Zambia could become a major supplier of many goods and services to other countries through implementation of bold and deliberate economic policies which could contribute to breaking the shackles of poverty.

She also challenged the private sector to always remember that while it was known that their objective was to maximize profits, they had a responsibility to plough back something tangible into the economy which could have a positive impact on the growth of the economy and in turn impact on the economic emancipation of the young people.

Maureen said the government must consider giving business stimulus packages to enterprises that would focus on the development of young people.

And youths agreed to bring about the change they wanted to see as future leaders.
This was after Maureen, during her address, asked them if they were ready to bring about their own change.
“Yes! Yes! We are ready,” the youths shouted with excitement.
She said despite the various challenges which confronted the youths in the country, there was hope to every gloomy situation.

She encouraged young people to continue aspiring for higher heights and believing that they could change their own destiny.

Maureen said youths needed tangible solutions to the challenges of today, and pledged to share with them her thoughts on ‘Youths and Entrepreneurship’.