DODOMA: AGRICULTURE sector is set to generate 55.1 per cent of the 8.5 million jobs targeted by the government over the next five years, with small and medium businesses projected to create a further 32.7 per cent. Minister of State in the President’s Office–Youth Development, Mr Joel Nanauka, said the government has put in place … The post Agriculture sector leads government’s 8.5 million jobs plan in next five years appeared first on Daily News .
DODOMA: AGRICULTURE sector is set to generate 55.1 per cent of the 8.5 million jobs targeted by the government over the next five years, with small and medium businesses projected to create a further 32.7 per cent.
Minister of State in the President’s Office–Youth Development, Mr Joel Nanauka, said the government has put in place measures to expand employment opportunities by linking young people with skills, capital, markets and practical work experience.
He said agriculture, including livestock and forestry, would account for 55.1 per cent of the targeted jobs, while the small and medium business sector was expected to generate 32.7 per cent and the formal sector 12.3 per cent.
“The government has developed specific measures to expand employment opportunities through agriculture, entrepreneurship and the formal sector,” Mr Nanauka said.
He was responding to a basic question from Mwanaenzi Hassan Suluhu (Special Seats-CCM), who wanted to know how many youths have benefited from empowerment programmes over the past five years and the results achieved in addressing unemployment.
Mr Nanauka said 1,373,433 youths have been empowered between July 2021 and June 2026 through programmes implemented by the government, public institutions, the private sector and development partners.
The programmes provided loans and capital, skills training, apprenticeships, internships and work experience, as well as opportunities in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, business, small-scale industries, tourism, technology, arts and the digital economy.
He said beneficiaries have also been linked to employment opportunities, public tenders, markets, business development services and entrepreneurship opportunities, enabling some to secure jobs, become self-employed and establish businesses.
However, Mr Nanauka said the figure was preliminary and could increase because some programmes had not submitted beneficiary data on time. He attributed the challenge to the absence of a single national system for coordinating and collecting information on youth empowerment beneficiaries.
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To address the problem, he said the President’s Office–Youth Development has completed the first phase of developing a modern Youth Empowerment System and was proceeding with the second phase, alongside efforts to complete the National Youth Affairs Coordination System.
He said the systems would improve beneficiary registration, data collection and verification, programme coordination and monitoring of outcomes.
Responding to a supplementary question on the number of empowered youths who had secured employment or established sustainable businesses, Mr Nanauka said the ministry would provide Parliament with written information.
He said implementation of the plan to create 8.5 million jobs over the next five years started in July, this year. On the 12-month grace period for new businesses, he said the government has started implementing measures to create a favourable environment for young entrepreneurs.
He said borrowers received a three-month grace period for ordinary businesses, while those in agriculture and livestock were given time until harvesting. He added that legislation providing one-year tax relief for newly established businesses are already being implemented.
Mr Nanauka said the ministry was also working with the private sector to provide youths with practical experience and identify skills required by employers.
The post Agriculture sector leads government’s 8.5 million jobs plan in next five years appeared first on Daily News.
