State keen on youth empowerment
GOVERNMENT will provide funds in next year’s national budget to finance youth entrepreneurship projects to enable young citizens become innovative and enhance employment opportunities.
Deputy Minister of Finance Miles Sampa has observed that youth unemployment is a global challenge.
Mr Sampa said this in New York on Monday after attending the opening session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council annual ministerial review meeting.
The meeting was held on the theme “Promoting productive capacity and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the Millennium Development Goals”.
Mr Sampa, who led a Zambian delegation to the high-level meeting, said most countries in the world are grappling with unemployment.
“I’m happy to state that Government is keen to set up in the 2013 national budget, financing that will particularly target innovations coming from youths,” Mr Sampa said.
This is according to a statement released in Lusaka yesterday by first secretary for press at the Zambian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, Chibaula Silwamba.
“What we have observed is that the solutions are not only in providing jobs to youths from Government and companies.
“Youths should become innovative and come up with bankable ideas that can be financed either by Government or the private sector,” he said.
Mr Sampa said youths should start thinking of becoming employers and not rely on formal employment.
He said waiting for job offers is a slow and unreliable approach while innovative entrepreneurship ideas will render youths instant employers.
Mr Sampa called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders including opposition political leaders and chiefs to address unemployment.
“Everybody needs to come on board and assist in getting the youths to be innovative to resolve the issue of unemployment,” Mr Sampa said.
Delegates across the world bemoaned the high levels of unemployment especially among youths after the global economic crisis.
Zambia is the immediate past president of ECOSOC.
Mr Sampa will speak at two sessions of the UN development cooperation forum tomorrow.
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