Monitor use of euro 100,000, Sawmillers urge public

From ALEX NJOVU in Kitwe
THE Zambia National Association for Sawmillers (ZNAS) has urged Zambians to take interest in its operations and monitor how the euro 100,000 it received from the Finish Embassy will be utilised.
ZNAS general secretary William Bwalya said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that Zambians should monitor the way the funds given to organization by the Finnish government will be used.

“We are appealing to members of the public including our members to monitor how we are going to disburse the funds we received from the Finnish Embassy,” Mr Bwalya said.
He said ZNAS will ensure that the money is put to good use.
“The funding agreement with the Embassy of Finland in this regard is to build capacity of the association to implement its strategic plan of planting 2,000 hectares of trees per annum for five years and the organising of industry parks (timber clusters) where to resettle saw millers,” he said.
Mr Bwalya said the establishment of timber clusters will help to discourage the movement of logs from impoverished areas to towns and cities for processing.
He said the introduction of timber clusters will ensure that the communities where logs are obtained from start earning income from the facilities.
He said job opportunities will be created for youths from the Euro 100,000 grant that ZNAS received from the Finish Embassy.