By JOHN SAKALA
Chingola Member of Parliament Matthew Nkhuwa today delivered another K200,000 to Chingola marketeers as revolving fund from President Edgar Lungu.
Last month, President Lungu had sent Mr Nkhuwa to hand over K160, 000 to Chingola women under Presidential Empowerment Fund.
Mr Nkhuwa said capital injection into any business is a shot in the arm.
Speaking when he handed over the Presidential Empowerment Fund to Chingola marketeers on behalf of President Lungu, Mr Nkhuwa said the President’s desire is to improve lives of everyone.
He said President Lungu had noticed hardships being faced by marketeers to grow their businesses.
Mr Nkhuwa, who is also Energy Minister, said several marketeers were being harassed by money lenders who lent them money at exorbitant interest rates.
He said President Lungu’s mother was a marketeer herself thereby being the source of his passion to stand with and empower marketeers for them to grow and send their children to school.
At Chiwempala market, Mr Nkhuwa handed over K100, 000 to three marketeer groups.
The three are: National Traders and Marketeers Association of Zambia (NATMAZ) got K50, 000, Association of Vendors and Marketeers of Zambia (AVEMA) got K40, 000 and another Marketeers Cooperative received K10, 000.
The next stop was at Maiteneke Market where he left K50, 000 to be shared equally with marketeers from Mikiloni.
He said the money was only meant for marketeers at Maiteneke but since the other group had gone to the area, he was left without option but sharing the money.
But he promised to visit them soon in order to equal the desired empowerment amount.
Lulamba market was the last stop for the day for the Presidential Empowerment Fund to
marketeers.
He gave out K50, 000 for NATMAZ (K30, 000) and the marketeers association got K20, 000.
Speaking in a vote of thanks at Chiwempala market, AVEMA District Chairperson David Makombe thanked President Lungu for the gesture.
Meanwhile, Marketeers Copperative Chairperson Mary Bwalya said capital is never little for a well disciplined and determined mind.
At Maiteneke, Rebecca Samwata who thanked Mr Nkhuwa for the gesture, said the marketeers at the market had waited for too long for such a business boost.
At Lulamba market, NATMAZ Chairperson Stella Kunda said Mr Nkhuwa had given them some empowerment before and today’s Presidential Empowerment Fund would just take them a whole lot further in their businesses.
Later on, Mr Nkhuwa had a discussion with World Harvest Church members where he left K5, 000 cash.
