REMARKS BY THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MR. HARRINGTON CHIBANDA AT THE COMMEMORATION OF THE WORLD DAY ON DECENT WORK, 7TH OCTOBER 2022, LUSAKA ZAMBIA.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IAM GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN ACCORDED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME REMARKS ON BEHALF OF THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS AT THIS COMMEMORATION OF THE WORLD DAY ON DECENT WORK.
COLLEAGUES THE DECENT WORK AGENDA SUBJECT HAS BEEN WITH US OVER A LONG TIME NOW AND OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS WE HAVE BEEN PREPARING COUNTRY DECENT WORK PROGRAMMES. WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE 2020 – 2022 ZAMBIA DECENT WORK COUNTRY PROGRAMME WHOSE PRIORITY NO. 2 WHICH IS “ENHANCED ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION TO CREATE MORE AND BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE WITH A FOCUS OF KEY ECONOMIC SECTORS AND THE RURAL ECONOMY IS IN OUR VIEW A CALL ON THE GOVERNMENT, THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT STAKEHOLDER TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE CREATION OF DECENT JOBS FOR ALL AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE YOUTH IN THE COUNTRY. I NOTE THAT WHILE THE GLOBAL THEM FOR THIS YEAR’S COMMEMORATION IS” WAGE JUSTICE “OUR LABOUR MOVEMENT IN ZAMBIA CHOSE TO COMMEMORATE THIS DAY UNDER THE THEME “EMPLOYMENT IN OTHER KEY ECONOMIC MINISTRIES, WHEN?
WE NOTE THAT THE LABOUR MOVEMENT IN ZAMBIA IS ELATED BY THE MASS EMPLOYMENT OF TEACHERS AND HEALTH WORKERS SO FAR DONE AND THE INTENDED RECRUITMENTS ANNOUNCED IN THE 2023 NATIONAL BUDGET BY THE NEW DAWN GOVERNMENT AND ZFE JOINS THE LABOUR MOVEMENT IN EXPRESSING THIS JOY AND WISH TO COMMEND THE NEW DAWN GOVERNMENT FOR MOVING ON THIS TRAJECTORY OF EMPLOYMENT CREATION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. TOUCHING ON THE LOCALIZED THEME FOR THIS YEAR WHICH IS ASKING FOR ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION OF WHEN JOBS WILL BE CREATED IN THE OTHER KEY ECONOMIC GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES, OUR VIEW IS THAT THROUGH THE 2023 NATIONAL BUDGET ANNOUNCED BY THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING HON SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, THERE ARE SOME JOBS BEING CREATED AND TO BE CREATED IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR THROUGH THE INITIATIVES THAT ARE MEANT TO INCREASE CROP PRODUCTIVITY AMONG SMALL – SCALE FARMERS, BY IMPROVING EXTENSION SERVICE DELIVERY AS THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN INFORMED THAT THIS YEAR THE GOVERNMENT HAS COMMENCED RECRUITMENT OF 256 EXTENSION OFFICERS WITH ADDITIONAL OFFICERS MEANT TO BE RECRUITED NEXT YEAR. IT IS OUR DESIRE IN ZFE THAT THE EFFORTS BEING MADE BY THE GOVERNMENT IN EMPLOYMENT CREATION MUST BE COMPLEMENTED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR ESPECIALLY THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS MOVING ON A TRAJECTORY TO CREATE AN ENABLING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR GROWTH.
THE PLANS BY THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED IN THE 2023 NATIONAL BUDGET TO REACH OUT TO 1.5 MILLION SMALL HOLDERS FARMERS TO BE PROVIDED WITH EXTENSION PLATFORMS AND THE INTENDED REVIVAL OF FARM BLOCKS ARE STEPS THAT WOULD SEE MORE AND BETTER JOBS BEING CREATED IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR BY THE PRIVATE PLAYERS.
GOING BY THE MACRO ECONOMIC POLICY MEASURES, AND OTHER SECTOR BASED POLICY PRONOUNCEMENTS MADE IN THE 2023 NATIONAL BUDGET IT IS OUR STRONG BELIEF IN ZFE THAT THE COUNTRY IS NOW ON THE RIGHT TRAJECTORY ON THE CALL TO ENHANCING ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION TO CREATE MORE AND BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE WITH A FOCUS OF KEY ECONOMIC SECTORS AND THE RURAL ECONOMY WHICH IS PRIORITY NUMBER 2 OF THE ON - GOING DECENT WORK COUNTRY PROGRAMME FOR 2020 – 2022.
WE WISH THIS COMMEMORATION THE BEST OF ITS SUCCESS AND THE UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS IN ZAMBIA EVERY SUCCESS IN THEIR PURSUANT TO FINDING DECENT JOBS FOR THEMSELVES AND THOSE WHO HAVE VENTURED INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO SUCCEED AND BE THE BIG EMPLOYERS OF TOMORROW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.