FDC, agencies told to help youths

State development agencies should focus more on economically empowering young people as a way to ensure the youths have a stake in the economy, the chairperson of the Free State legislature’s economic development portfolio committee, Thabo Meeko, has said.

Meeko, who was speaking when the Free State Development Corporation (FDC) appeared before his committee on Wednesday, urged the agencies to move away from concentrating on supporting established businesses because they consider them safer than start-ups run by inexperienced youngsters.

The FDC and similar agencies should instead find the courage to financially back grassroots-based small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) run by young people who are the future of the province and country, Meeko said.

Meeko, whose committee was this week reviewing the annual performance plans of the FDC and other government departments and entities including the Gambling and Liquor Authority, called for training of officials at the agencies so they are able to tailor make their development initiatives to support government economic empowerment programmes.

“Young people need not be suffering … I believe it is time they (agency officials) are given training on how (they can assist) government programmes to empower particularly the youths,” Meeko told the committee sitting at the Plaza Sanlam, in Bloemfontein, on Wednesday.