Africa-Press – Zambia. The Luapula Chamber of Commerce Trade and Industry has welcomed President Hakainde Hichilema’s decision to create the Ministry of Small Medium sized Enterprise Development.
Luapula Chamber of Commerce, Trade and Industry President, Emmanuel Musanje, says the ministry will be the main framework that is likely to bring together interventions in various sectors of the economy to create jobs and reduce poverty in the country.
Mr Musanje said in an interview that the new ministry is a target to the youths who need to actively participate in the economic transformation of the country.
“This new ministry is a target to the youths to say that whatever you are good at, do it to the best of your ability, because when you look at the procurement, there will be preference to buy from the enterprising youths locally,” he said.
Mr Musanje added that when the government starts procuring goods and services from the youths it means opportunities are being given to them and that they should position themselves in polishing up their dreams and skills.
“I know that this time around there will be access to finance because for a long time it was a general thing whereby, the SMEs were competing with huge enterprises and they were overshadowed, but now with this proposed SME ministry it will make the youths think outside the box” he said.
Meanwhile, Mansa Village Industry Tenants Association (MAVISTA) Secretary General, Nathan Ng’andwe said the small-scale entrepreneurs at the village industry are hopeful that the proposed Ministry of Small Medium Enterprises will help their businesses to grow through various economic policies that the government will implement.
“Now we have our own ministry that will look at small enterprises like ours, here at the village industry we have many talents such as carpentry, shoe making, mechanics and many others that will now be looking to this new ministry to support them so that they too can contribute to the GDP of the country,” he said.
Mr. Ng’andwe noted that the small-scale entrepreneurs need not to be politicized so that they can also grow into commercial businesses. “In the past there was a lot of political interference which largely suffocated these small enterprises, but now with the new government we are hopeful that such will not happen as the small enterprises will be the engine for economic recovery in the country,” he said.
