Govt announces new youth empowerment measures

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Friday April 27, 2007 00:00

Principal Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Communications Science and Technology, Titi Nyatsa said that Orange has offered to connect phones to the businesses for the youth.  She said that the youth will be required to form groups of three to five members with different skills to start business. They could start  Internet Cafs or photocopy and typing bureaus. The pilot project will start with 20 but the intention is to have over 100 youth in due course.  The sponsors of the project will train, mentor, and monitor the businesses until the youth are able to pay back the loans. 
Officials at Department of Youth and Culture said that the project will operate according to the guidelines of the out-of-school youth grant. The grant targets those between 19- 29 years.
Meanwhile, civil servants have not been left out in the governments information technology drive. The civil servants now have a scheme that makes it easy for them to buy computers for their families.  They will be buying at a cheaper price and paying in installments.