FIVE OUTSTANDING ZAMBIAN BUSINESSES RECEIVE $20, 000 EACH AND A TRIP TO JAPAN UNDER THE JICA JOINT EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME
FIVE OUTSTANDING ZAMBIAN BUSINESSES RECEIVE $20, 000 EACH AND A TRIP TO JAPAN UNDER THE JICA JOINT EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME
Highlights from the courtesy call paid on Zambia’s Ambassador to Japan, Dr. Tobias Mulimbika by Small and Medium Enterprise Development Permanent Secretary Mrs. Subeta Mutelo.
✅ Five outstanding Zambian businesses have been awarded USD 20,000 in equipment support and a business trip to Japan following their exceptional performance in a national pitch contest held on 25th February 2025.
✅ The five outstanding Zambian enterprises include two from Lusaka, two from the Copperbelt, and one from Eastern Province.
✅ The five were selected from a pool of 512 applicants under the JEP initiative.
✅ Small and Medium Enterprise Development Permanent Secretary Mrs. Subeta Mutelo is leading a delegation to Japan from 9th to 17th May 2025, as part of the Joint Empowerment Programme (JEP).
✅ The initiative between the Zambian Government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is aimed at strengthening SME growth through value addition and global partnerships.
✅ The JEP programme targets SMEs in food processing, circular economy, wood and wood products, metal fabrication and light engineering, textiles, and leather goods.
✅ It has an estimated budget of ZMW 7.5 million, with JICA contributing ZMW 7 million and the MSMED contributing ZMW 500,000.
