CEEC is a body corporate established under the CEE Act No. 9 of 2006 to promote the economic empowerment of targeted citizens. According to CEEC, targeted citizens include Women, Youths, disabled and citizens influenced companies. It is our belief that the PF government aims to alleviate poverty levels in Zambia and thereby fulfill their campaign promises of creating job creation and putting more money in people’s pockets, however, we fail to understand how this can be achieved without support to Zambians Small to Medium Scale businesses especially those that are run by Youths and Women.

 The Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) Public Relation and Communications Manager, Glenda Masebe in justifying the suspension said this development is designed to facilitate the clearing of the backlog of applications that the Commission has received. Ms Masebe disclosed that since inception, the Commission has disbursed in all the 10(ten) Provinces of Zambia a total value of K174 Billion, against 1,439 projects out of 1,634 approved projects whose total value is K219 Billion. Ms Masebe further says performance of the loan portfolio at, 42 percent has been below expectation. Consequently the Commission has a total backlog of K45 Billion to clear, while the budget for 2012 is K 47 Billion, hence the need to suspend accepting new applications, until the backlog has been cleared. The statement above contradicts the reasons advanced by Hon. Bob Sichinga on 7th February 2012 when a policy decision to suspend the funding was made, under these circumstances we fail to get the truth of the matter, therefore, we request that Hon. Bob Sichinga lift the suspension of funding and allows treasury to release funding for the 194 projects that are pending. These projects would have been providing the much needed jobs. 

We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders including the Commerce Minister, Secretary to the Treasury and Finance Ministers to resume funding and new calls for Business Proposals.