By FLAVIOUR KANUNGOARTISTS are shocked that government wants to criminalise the repayment of empowerment loan.Comedian Sarafina Nthenga has expressed disappointment at Government’s call on artists to pay back the youth empowerment loans without engaging them.Ms Nthenga says the new dawn administration should have conducted an assessment to evaluate how beneficiary artists were fairing before asking them to pay back the loans.In 2020, the Patriotic Front government set aside K30 million as Presidential Arts Development and Empowerment Scheme aimed at improving the arts industry with a year repayment period.The Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) entered into a partnership with the National Arts Council (NAC) to disburse and manage the Presidential Arts Empowerment Loans which saw over 152 artists benefit.Recently, Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts Permanent Secretary Kangwa Chileshe said Government will not scrape off any loans which were paid to artists but indicated that effective January month-end, beneficiaries would be required to present their payment […]
ARTISTS SHOCKED
