Boost for pensioners

A US$2 million revolving fund aimed at empowering pensioners with agricultural income generating projects across the country, will be rolled-out by the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) next month.

Addressing NSSA pensioners during a meeting held in Bulawayo last Friday, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima said the scheme was targeting pensioners in urban and rural areas.

“NSSA has a programme for developing agriculture value chain, one of them is in the goat industry and NSSA is getting a hub centrally located in Kwekwe.

“But linked to that, we want to have an out-grower programme spearheaded by NSSA pensioners in various parts of the country who can then bring the goats for central processing and marketing at this hub and we are targeting foreign markets so that we (NSSA and pensioners on the out-grower scheme) can access foreign currency,” he said.

Prof Mavima said the out-grower scheme would not be limited only to goats as there were other pensioners interested in other projects such as poultry.

“We are not limiting only to goats, we understand that there are others who want to venture into projects like broilers and we have a programme for capacitation,” he said-herald.cl.zw