The Zambia Citizen Entrepreneurs Development Programme is not dead and the Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ) has appealed to stakeholders to come on board and invest in the Programme, which has currently been static due to lack of resources.
EAZ President Lubinda Haabazoka said the programme, which was launched last year, has benefited over 500 people in Lusaka and Luapula Provinces but has been slow because of lack of funds.
Speaking in an interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Haabazoka said the programme depends on the private sector pumping in resources and Covid-19 has been a huge hindrance to enticing investors to invest alongside ordinary Zambian citizens using an outgrower scheme.
Lubinda said because of Covid-19, many private sector parties are unable to take the risk adding that the association will continue engaging various partners.
He has called upon all well-meaning investors to join the cause so that they can be part of the project, which aims at providing jobs for Zambian citizens and creating wealth through outgrower schemes countrywide.
“As EAZ, who are major players in this programme, we are tirelessly looking for partners; funders that can pump in resources to ensure that this project is implemented country wide. The idea is not dead, the company is there and we have some beneficiaries that we are working with, there are some taxis that are operating, we are just looking for funders because unfortunately as EAZ we are not millionaires or billionaires so we depend on the private sector”, he said.
Lubinda said the programme aims at developing entrepreneurs countrywide and has a target of empowering one million people adding that a huge cash inflow is needed for that therefore he has called upon funders to come on board and participate in wealth creation for the nation.
He added that apart from programmes that were rolled out last year and the over 500 that were empowered, the project has been slow and no new people have been empowered this year due to funding. “We have empowered people with taxis, some are into farming and rearing of goats, he said.”
The Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ) last year July launched a programme called ‘Zambia Citizen Entrepreneurs Development Programme’, which is aimed at enhancing wealth creation through the promotion of entrepreneurship.
