Make use of empowerment funds, Minister tells graduates

Dodoma. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Mr Anthony Mavunde has asked graduates to make use of empowerment funds initiated by the government to create jobs. 

Mr Mavunde who was responding to a supplementary question asked by Mr Abdallah Mtolea (Temeke-CUF) in parliament on Friday, said the National Economic Empowerment Council has 19 funds which support special groups like women and youth. 

"I urge graduates to form groups or companies and seek loans from the funds which are liquid. There is one group of graduates in Morogoro benefited from government guarantee and the graduates are doing well in supplying vegetables," said Mr Mavunde. 

Mr Mtolea asked if the government could issue loans to graduates to help them with acquiring capital. 

"Since most of them are beneficiaries of the student loans, they are trusted. Why then the government cannot give them startup loans?" asked Mr Mtolea. 

Earlier in the basic question, Ms Asha Abdullah Juma (Special Seats-CCM) asked when the government will take deliberate measures to employ graduates especially those of technical courses as Tanzania implements industrialisation. 

Mr Mavunde mentioned some government projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, Standard Gauge and Rural Electrification as sources of employment to the graduates. 

He also mentioned some skills development programmes which help the graduates to secure jobs.