Govt defends its rigidity with the CEEF
January 27, 2009
CHOMA District Commissioner Laiven Apuleni has defended government against accusations of rigidity in the approval and disbursement of money to applicants under the Citizenship Economic Empowered Fund (CEEF).
Mr. Apuleni says government is just being cautious to ensure that the history of poor repayment that had characterized similar empowerment programmes in the past did not occur.
He was speaking in Choma yesterday when he opened a two weeks training programme in bricklaying and entrepreneurship organized by Choma trades institute.
Mr. Apuleni said government is cognizant of the setbacks in previous empowerment schemes which had failed to achieve their intended purpose as beneficiaries abused the facility by failing to pay back.
He said government would want to ensure that beneficiaries of funds under the CEEF are those with capacity to pay back.
Mr Apuleni encouraged business persons wishing to access the fund to come up with partnerships that will formulate business project proposals that can attract funding.
And Mr. Apuleni has bemoaned the shortage of adequate skilled personnel to work in the booming construction in the country.
Mr Apuleni said it is government’s desire that more people acquire necessary skills so as to effectively compete for jobs in the construction industry.
He said government through the ministry of science and technology has devised a policy that will provide short intensive courses to empower Zambians with the needed skills in the construction sector.
Mr Apuleni noted that there has been an increase in construction activities due to the prudent economic policies of the MMD Government.
He said it would not argue well for foreign investors to import human resource when Zambians are able to offer similar skills.
Mr Apuleni commended Choma Trades Institute for designing a course and seeking funding from the Technical Education Vocational and Entrepreneurship training Authority (TEVETA) in bricklaying targeting members of the local community.
He also commended TEVETA for the for the financial support saying this was testimony of government’s good policies intended to empower its citizens with skills.
The DC said the course is in line with government policy to encourage and provide for citizens to actively participate in economic development through enterprise development and self employment.
Under the TEVETA support, the institute will train 40 local people in brick laying and entrepreneurship skills.
Speaking earlier, Choma Trades Institute principal Tom Kampamba said the provision of free skills in brick laying and entrepreneurship to the 22 participants is one way government intends empower its citizens.
He disclosed that additional funds have also been secured from TEVEA to train women of Masuku area in Choma in tailoring and also another group of women in Kazungula district would be empowered with bee keeping skills.
ZANIS/CM/MKM/ENDS
Labels: CEEF, CONSTRUCTION, MMD, TEVETA
Read more...
Kanyama calls for refocus of CEEF strategy
Written by Kabanda Chulu
Sunday, December 28, 2008 12:41:30 PM
ECONIMICS Association of Zambia (EAZ) immediate past national secretary Chibamba Kanyama has said there is need to refocus the strategy of the Citizen Economic Empowerment Fund (CEEF) because many Zambians feel the initiative is a non-starter.
Commenting on the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC)’s decision to address obstacles that have resulted in reduced applications for money under the empowerment funds, Kanyama said it had become evident that a number of applicants to those funds felt the whole initiative was futile.
“Several hundreds of citizens have in the past one year made many enquiries and applications for the Citizens Economic Empowerment Fund but it is becoming increasingly evident a number of applicants to these funds feel the whole initiative is futile, hence the need to refocus the strategy of the empowerment funds,” he said.
Kanyama observed that the communication criteria for accessing the money had not been very clear.
“In other words, we are not sure whether it is the commercial banks or provincial development committees responsible for disbursements and approval of applications. On the other hand, the secretariat has been under increasing pressure to disburse these funds before the end of the 2008 financial year, having lost an entire year in setting up administrative structures,” Kanyama said.
“And the demand for collateral before accessing these funds has contributed to growing disillusionment among the citizens and those with collateral are equally frustrated by the demand that such funds be disbursed to groups or cooperatives.”
He said it was unlikely that the CEEF would receive any more funds from the treasury in the near future.
“I do not think the critical stakeholders such as taxpayers will support it. Under the current disbursement arrangement, a number of potential borrowers will not access the funds and this will raise a lot of questions soon,” Kanyama said.
“And those that will access it are likely to fail under the current economic climate because it is very difficult to run a successful business operation in Zambia even under the circumstances of low interest rates as given by the CEEC.”
Kanyama said if the government truly intended to empower a cross section of Zambians through cheap and easy to access capital, the current approach was wrong and would not succeed.
“The moral hazard factor will come into play. As long as it is perceived to be government money, many beneficiaries will hardly pay back and I advise government to immediately restructure the loan-mode of these funds. No one should access hard cash. The money can be used to build industrial hives across the country where economic or production facilities can benefit all those with capacity to do. What Zambian entrepreneurs lack is production facilities that can help them produce goods and services,” said Kanyama.
Labels: CEEF, CHIBAMBA KANYAMA, EAZ
Read more...
CEEC to revise its strategy
November 24, 2008
The Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) is exploring various options to ensure that all citizens have access to the empowerment fund.
CEEC Director General Mable Mungomba told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the move has been necessitated by the absence of commercial banks in some districts to facilitate access and distribution of the funds.
Ms. Mungomba said some options so far discussed are the use of micro-finance institutions, District Councils and Postal services.
She explained that each avenue is being assessed for its merits adding that the Commission has since tasked a team of staff to travel to various districts without banks to make an on-the-ground assessment on the best and most efficient strategy for citizens’ access to the funds.
A financial inclusiveness survey undertaken by CEEF has revealed that 21 districts operate without banking services.
Ms. Mungomba’s was responding to reports that funds meant for Citizens Economic and Empowerment Commission (CEEC) for Chavuma District are lying idle at the Zambia National Commercial Bank in Solwezi because Chavuma District does not have a commercial bank to facilitate access and distribution of the funds.
Chavuma District Commissioner Frobisher Fulayi, who is also Chavuma District CEEC Chairman, recently launched a passionate appeal to the CEEC to review the system of accessing and distributing the funds as some districts lack commercial banks.
CEEC funds are presently accessed and distributed exclusively through commercial banks.
Categories: Economy
Labels: CEEC, CEEF, FUNDING
Read more...
CEEF funds unutilized in Chavuma
November 18, 2008
Funds under the Citizens Economic and Empowerment Fund (CEEF) in Chavuma district are lying idle at the Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZANACO) in Solwezi because people in Chavuma cannot access the required forms. Chavuma District Commissioner (DC) Frobisher Fulayi confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Chavuma today.
Mr. Fulayi said the district received funds for programmes under economic empowerment but the funds are still lying idle in the bank because Chavuma district does not have a commercial bank from which the forms can be accessed..
He said the CEEF guidelines require people to access the funds through a commercial bank.
Mr. Fulayi, who is also the Chavuma Citizens Economic and Empowerment Fund Committee Chairperson, said the people are eager to kick-start their investment projects but lack of a financial institution from which to access forms has proved to be a draw back.
He proposed that forms be made available at the Office of the District Commissioner (DCs) so that more people can access the forms in places where they are no commercial banks.
Government released funds under the auspices of the CEEF to districts across the country.
Labels: CEE, CEEF, FROBISHER FULAYI, ZANACO
Read more...
