DODOMA: SECTORAL ministries have initiated the allocation of five per cent of their budgets to promote job creation and establish supportive conditions for youth employment.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office for Labour, Youths, Employment and People with Disabilities Patrobas Katambi said this development in the National Assembly yesterday, highlighting its significance for key sectors, including agriculture, mining, industry and trade.
Mr Katambi said this in response to a supplementary question from Special Seats MP Latifa Juakali (CCM), who inquired about government plans to allocate five per cent of sectoral budgets to address youth unemployment.
He said several programmes are already implemented as part of the initiative such as the Building Better Tomorrow (BBT) project under the Ministry of Agriculture, which aims to provide training and resources for young people to engage in sustainable farming practices.
“In the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Economic Empowerment project has used 2.8tri/- in capital funding, benefiting over 24 million citizens through financial support that helps initiate and expand business ventures,” he said.
Mr Katambi further said the Ministry of Minerals, meanwhile, has launched the “Mining for a Brighter Tomorrow” project, identifying and supporting young miners with land allocations and equipment, enabling them to participate actively in the sector and contribute to economic growth.
Expanding on oversight, Katambi noted that the Ministry of Finance is required, through Prime Minister’s Office Form 15(a) and (b), to provide reports on development projects that specify job creation figures for youths and outline the support offered through capital allocation for major, strategically funded initiatives.
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In her basic question, the legislator wanted to know whether the government would commit five per cent of sectoral development project budgets to youth initiatives.
In response, Mr Katambi maintained the government’s recognition of youth empowerment as a vital component of national development.
“Beyond the five per cent budget allocation, the government reserves 30 per cent of project tenders across councils for youths, women and people with disabilities.
Through the internal revenue of each council, the government continues to allocate 10 per cent of the internal revenue (4.4.2) for youths (4 per cent), women (2 per cent) and people with disabilities (2 per cent) under favourable conditions,” he said.
The deputy minister said the ongoing work of the Prime Minister’s Office, which, through the Youth Development Fund, supports youth-led projects across various sectors.
He pledged that the government would maintain collaboration with different ministries to continuously review and enhance policies and guidelines, aiming to facilitate access to capital, encourage innovation and sustain youthdriven initiatives.
“We are committed to ensuring that these policies not only support new projects but also foster a long-term environment for youth entrepreneurship and job creation,” Mr Katambi said.
