By Scoop Reporter
TOURISM and Arts Minister Ronald Chitotela has said his Ministry is working with the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry to develop a sector stimulus package to alleviate the suffering of curio traders.
Speaking when he undertook at spot check of Lusaka’s Kabwata Cultural Village in the company of Department of Arts and Culture staff yesterday, Mr. Chitotela said the curio traders have negatively been affected by the effects of the Covid-19 as their main source market, the foreign tourists are not there.
He acknowledges that tourists visit the cultural centre by international travelers should be compensated by domestic markets as the sector recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 to keep the sector going and cushion the suffering of the traders.
He says his ministry has started processes to engage with the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) and the traders can be assisted with the loans and find modalities on how best they can pay back the loans.
This is according to a statement made available by Ministry of Tourism Public Relations Officer Sakabilo Kalembwe – Zacks
“The Minister said the Ministry would also engage other cooperating partners to find ways of helping the traders with relief food, mainly mealie meal and beans or Kapenta (saddins) to keep them going on the road to economic recovery from the pandemic.
“Mr. Chitotela express happiness that now that tourism are slowly opening up, the sector would start ‘healing’ and called on Zambians to appreciate and support the local creative sector. He said Zambians must buy Zambian product to grow the domestic and create resilience for the local economy,” Mr. Kalembwe said.
He says his office would resolve the land issue surrounds the cultural village as it belongs to the ministry.
