The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, has highlighted on the programmes that it implements, and called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders in order to collectively work to reduce poverty and vulnerability in the country.

Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Doreen Mwamba was speaking on Wednesday, during the Trio press briefing hosted by the Minister of Information and Media, Ms. Chushi Kasanda , were Youth, Sports and Arts Minister Hon. Elvis Nkandu was also present.

Ms. Mwamba said the Ministry is key in providing and facilitating the provision of equitable Social Protection to communities in order to contribute to sustainable human development, as well as to reduce poverty and improve quality of life in the country.

Ms. Mwamba said her Ministry is a nerve centre for the communities as it deals with real life situations and emotions of the poor, vulnerable and marginalised in society.

“Working at Community Development requires one to have passion and a heart for the people not oneself, as this is the only way one can serve the communities diligently” she said.

The Minister informed the media that Social Protection was not Social Cash Transfer only, but encompasses other programmes that constitutes Social Protection.

She said within the context of Social Protection, the Ministry implements and facilitates the provision of Community Development and Social Welfare services, and also formulates policies such as Community Development policy, Disability policy, Social Welfare policy among many others.

Ms. Mwamba pointed out that since the UPND government came into power, the transfer value for Social Cash Transfer had been increased from K300 bi-monthly to K400 and from K400 to K800, for households with Persons living with Disabilities, which is an indication of commitment, by the New Dawn government, under President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership.

The Minster said the Social Cash Transfer is implemented in all the districts, with a target to reach 1,300,000 households beneficiaries by the end of this year.

Speaking at the same function, Minister of Youth Sport and Arts, Mr Elvis Nkandu, said his Ministry had procured 50 fuel tankers that it intends to give to the Youths that have submitted their business proposals.

He said this, will bring the total number of fuel tankers to 100, including those that were bought in the previous Government.

The Minister said the Youths will be linked to INDENI for them to easily run the fuel Tankers business as INDENI is now one of the Oil Marketing Companies (OMC).

The Minister was optimistic that the Youths under the New Dawn Government will have a lot of projects to embark on as there were more opportunities to tap from.