ZEEA collects 1.6bn/- for youth, women, PWDs

ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR Economic Empowerment Agency (ZEEA) had by July 2023 collected about 1.6bn/- from the local authorities for distribution to youth, women and people with disabilities, the House of Representatives was informed yesterday.

Minister of State, President’s Office, Labour, Economic Affairs and Investment Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga told the house that distribution of the 1,563,989,559/- is scheduled to start this month through Tanzania Commercial Bank.

The minister was answering a question by Wingwi Representative Kombo Mwinyi Shehe who wanted to know if the economic empowerment agency was observing the distribution ratio of the money to the beneficiaries.

All local authorities in Zanzibar are required to allocate 10 per cent of their revenues as interest free loans to women, youth and people with disabilities who share the money at the 4-4-2 ratio.

Minister Soraga said the agency has already put in place an arrangement on how to issue the interest free loans to the beneficiaries subject to the contributions received from the local governments.