Igunga issues 593m/- loans to 55 special groups

TABORA: A total of 55 special groups comprising youths, women and people with disabilities (PwDs) in Igunga District Council, Tabora Region, have received a whopping 593m/- in loans through an empowerment programme, enabling members to engage in various income-generating activities.

The council’s Head of the Community Development Department, Mr John Tesha, disclosed the figure in Igunga town recently during a ceremony to hand over cheques to groups that qualified for the loans. Explaining how the amount was distributed, Mr Tesha said 30 youth groups received 378.9m/-, 20 women groups received 197m/-, while five groups of people with disabilities received 17.1m/-.

Handing over the cheques to the qualifying groups, Igunga District Commissioner, Ms Sauda Mtondoo, said the government will continue to create an enabling environment for people to work and for mobilising domestic revenue, which has enabled entrepreneurs to access the loans. She said she was optimistic that when young people are empowered with incomegenerating activities, it contributes to peace and stability in the district and the country, giving leaders an opportunity to undertake major development initiatives.

“Let us continue encouraging young people in our areas because the opportunity is available and the funds are there. Let us be good ambassadors to those who think this is merely a story or a dream, because those who meet the criteria are accessing the loans,” she told the beneficiaries.

She said entrepreneurs have the potential to transform Igunga, urging them to have ambitious plans, including establishing industries that would create employment opportunities for other young people.

The District Commissioner also urged the entrepreneurs to take precautions against El Niño rains by conducting their businesses in areas that are not vulnerable to flooding, in order to avoid the impact of the rains if they exceed normal levels.

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Meanwhile, Igunga District Chairperson of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Mr Mafunda Temanya, congratulated the council’s experts, led by the director for ensuring that loan repayments were progressing well. He also commended the District Commissioner for maintaining peace and stability, which enables entrepreneurs to conduct their activities.

For his part, Igunga District Council Chairperson Shabani Hemed, urged the entrepreneurs to use the loans for the projects and activities for which they had applied, so as to improve their economic wellbeing, rather than using the money to buy new shirts, trousers or engage in excessive drinking.

Council Executive Director Ms Selwa Hamid, urged young people to continue supporting President Samia by implementing the activities for which they applied for and received loans through the 10 per cent financing scheme.