27 Jun 2019

The Youth Development Fund (YDF) will open for applications in a few weeks’ time,  Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development Mr Dikgang Makgalemele has disclosed.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Moshupa recently, he said the process of reviewing the fund to improve the success rate of projects for optimising employment creation was not yet complete.

He said government had however resolved to continue implementing the programme while awaiting completion of the review.

Mr Makgalemele advised the youth to form cooperatives because they had a comparative job creation advantage over other types of enterprise.

Those who formed cooperatives had better chances of being funded as opposed to those who applied as individuals, the assistant minister said.
He said among the proposed changes to the fund  was to focus on funding youth cooperatives as they had better potential for success.

Mr Makgalemele promised that they would rectify problems surrounding the processing of YDF requests which included administrative delays.

He advised the village leadership to form a youth forum with the objective of empowering Moshupa’s young people.

Mr Makgalemele said it was the responsibility of the youth to understand the many opportunities available for funding and take advantage of them.
Affirmative action in favour of young people, he explained, made special considerations for the youth as they were highly vulnerable to unemployment and poverty.

He said certain conditions, including levies, cost recovery charges and licensing conditions had been either waived or adjusted.
Out of the ministry’s 2018/2019 recurrent budget of P45.14 billion, government had decided to set aside 20 per cent of micro procurement for the youth, women and the disabled, he said.
He said all ministries and independent departments were to set aside a 15 per cent quota for youth on maintenance of government facilities.
Further, ministries and independent departments had to apply a 15 per cent preference margin for youth companies.

“Other reservations extended to the youth include cattle chasing tenders, where 30 per cent of cattle patrols are to be reserved for youth companies, the cut lines and fire break tenders, open spaces for youth businesses and subsidised agricultural inputs.

Clearly there are opportunities available, which can make it possible to empower the youth,” he said.

In his remarks, Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Karabo Gare said the ministry was working towards reviewing policies and business licensing as a way of making business easier.

He said the youth, who were 60 per cent of the population, were hardest hit by unemployment therefore needed government to empower them. Mr Gare advised the youth to take advantages of initiatives aimed at uplifting them from all ministries.

He said the ministry recently launched a system allowing for the registration of companies through the cellphones and make payments via Orange Money.
Arrangements were underway to ensure payments could also be made through My Zaka and Poso Money.

The Moshupa-Manyana parl legislator said he was pleased that parents attended the meeting as they would be able to advise their children to take advantage of government programmes. ENDS