The oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait have requestedhave requested Zambia to provide 1,000 citizens to work as drivers and maids in the two countries. The workers are expected to have a monthly package of about K13,000, which will be inclusive of a commission. Minister of Finance Margaret Mwanakatwe said during a Patriotic Front (PF) interactive forum yesterday that Government has engaged a recruitment agency to organise people to go and work in the UAE and Kuwait.

“Those who are interested need to pay for their own visas, medical fees, air tickets and police clearance fees which amount to about K15,000,” she said. Mrs Mwanakatwe, who is also PF chairperson for commerce, said the jobs are on a two-year contract with a possibility of renewal. She said people wishing to apply for the jobs should be between 25 and 40 years old with a high school certificate, valid passport and should be able to speak and write English.

“When we say the PF is trying to create employment, this is what we talk about,” she said. Mrs Mwanakatwe said the ministries of Labour and Social Security, Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs will be engaged on the matter to ensure that those who will be selected return home to support their families after their contracts end. She said the programme is expected to be done annually. And PF media director Sunday Chanda called on party youths to apply so that they can be considered for the jobs.

Meanwhile, Mrs Mwanakatwe says Cabinet will decide whether or not to sell 20 percent of its She said several companies have offered to buy some of Government’s shares in ZCCM-IH. “First Quantum Minerals is just one of the many companies that have expressed interest to buy the shares and Government is currently weighing the offers,” she said.

On the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the minister said the financial institution’s team is expected in the country in March for talks with Government for three weeks. “After the meeting, we hope to come up with a policy statement on how they [IMF] see our debt sustainability,” Mrs Mwanakatwe said.

And Mrs Mwanakatwe says Government is considering lifting the ban on the movement of mukula logs once a transparent process has been put in place. “We are working with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to create a platform not to move mukula logs out of the country, but have stakeholders come in the country to buy the logs,” she said.