Government is surprised at the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR)’s extensive criticism of Government’s announcement that it has created more than 195,000 jobs since the Patriotic Front (PF) assumed power.
Information and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Mwansa Kapeya said yesterday that it was surprising that JCTR, for reasons best known to itself, was underplaying Government’s commitment to job creation and other landmark achievements it had continued to score.
Mr Kapeya said in a statement in Lusaka that the creation of jobs and other achievements were aimed at uplifting the welfare of Zambians as espoused in the PF manifesto.
He said the Government had continued to make steady progress in job creation with over 195,000 jobs having been created in various sectors since 2011.
He said it was, therefore, surprising for a leading civil society like JCTR to say that all the 195,000 jobs were created in the arts industry and that they were of little impact on poverty alleviation and elimination.
He said the assertions by JCTR were unfounded and aimed at misleading the nation.
“This is untrue and unfortunate and we wonder what criteria JCTR used to arrive at this assertion,” he said.
He said so far, 9,716 jobs had been created in Central province, 5, 257 in Local Government and the private sector had benefitted with 24,098 jobs.
He said the Government had also created 5,510 new jobs through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) pledged investments as well as 5,858 new jobs approved for recruitment in the newly-created districts.
Mr Kapeya said jobs created in the parastatal sector totalled 29,305 while those created in arts were 116,000 with the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) having grown by 7.3 per cent in 2012 compared to 6.8 per cent in 2011.
“It is, therefore, surprising that the JCTR, for reasons best known to itself, has chosen to underplay the foregoing and other landmark achievements this Government has and continues to score in uplifting the welfare of the Zambian people as espoused in its party manifesto,” Mr Kapeya said.
He said JCTR was a well-placed and respected organisation which the Government least expected to misguide the public on important national issues.
JCRT national coordinator Leonard Chiti was reported as having said that all the 195,000 jobs were created in the arts industry and were of little impact on poverty alleviation and elimination.
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