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MINISTER WANTS E50M FOR YOUTH FUND

20/03/2019 00:48:00 BY SIBONGILE SUKATI

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MBABANE – Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries Bulunga wants E50 million for the Youth Empowerment Revolving Fund (YERF).
The figure is almost close to the entire ministry’s budget for the financial year 2019/20, which is at E55 million.

The minister made these remarks yesterday during the Senate portfolio committee debate of the ministry’s end of year report which was chaired by Senator Princess Tsandzisiwe.

The minister informed the legislators that the E12 million allocation, although they appreciated it, was too little for the number of youth which the country had, as they made up almost 80 per cent of the population.

He said they would ensure that the money was returned by all the beneficiaries because the future plan was that the fund should be self-sustaining instead of them returning to Parliament to ask for more funds on a yearly basis.
Bulunga said an unemployed youth was a ticking time bomb and therefore, they needed to be taught skills because there was a danger that they could be influenced by negative elements if they remained idle.

Goals

He asked the senators to assist him with future budgets to help them secure more money because the current budget was very little for all the goals which the ministry needed to achieve.
Bulunga informed the senators that already 49 people had accessed the youth fund, but that they were still going to undergo training in business administration before they were given the money.

He said a sole trader according to regulations of the fund could benefit up to E50 000, while a company was given E100 000 and those in groups were given about E150 000.

The minister assured the senators that due to the vigorous training they would undergo, the youth would know that the money was a loan and not a grant.
Meanwhile, the minister ignored questions regarding the suspended Youth Director Bheki Thwala.