Government has started blacklisting youths who have failed to pay back the loans they got under the Youth Development Fund (YDF).
The defaulters will be reported to the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB). Apart from being reported to the CRB, the ministry will obtain a warrant of seizure against defaulters.

Senior youth development officer Masheke Kakuwa said they have a greenlight from the Ministry of Justice to serve warrants of seizure on defaulters to recover the unpaid money. Mr Kakuwa said the ministry has taken the move to list the defaulters with the CRB as well as obtain the warrant of seizure because only two percent of the disbursed money has so far been paid back.

Out of K53 million given out to youths as loans across the country, Mr Kakuwa said the ministry has recovered only K1.6 million.
“As we speak, the YDF is currently on hold as the recovery rate is very low. However, we have been given a go-ahead to obtain warrants of seizure to recover the money while all the defaulters will be listed on CRB, which means they will never be able to obtain any loan anywhere,’’ he said.
Mr Kakuwa was speaking here on Friday during a youth forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in Mongu.
Mr Kakuwa said despite having a low recovery rate, the YDF has some pockets of success stories among the youths who wisely invested the money.
“This programme can of course boast of some success stories.

“A case in mind is of a young man in Chelstone area in Lusaka who is now operating his own dental clinic, while in Senanga here in Western Province, we have a group of youths who have grown their businesses from just one taxi to about six,’’ he said.
And Mr Kakuwa said that a preliminary report in the findings of the low returns has indicated that some youths have not paid back because of political interference.
He said some youths were told not to pay back the money as the funds were allegedly used as an inducement to influence them to vote.
“Of course that was not the case as this money is a revolving fund and beneficiaries were given terms and references,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kakuwa said that the ministry will in the next few months roll out the Informational Technology (ICT) project for the youths.