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Mthabisi Tshuma, Business Correspondent
REGISTERED youth entrepreneurs and associations affected by the Covid-19 pandemic are set to receive a maximum of $5 000 and $3 000 each respectively from Government’s $17 million Youth Relief Fund.

Some of the youth organisations are among other businesses, which have come to a halt due to the ongoing lockdown. Many of them have been left with no consistent source of income as they are unable to operate during the lockdown by virtue of being not regarded as an essential service.

The relief fund was launched last week by Minister of Youth, Arts and Sports Recreation, Kirsty Coventry. The fund, which will be channelled to the youths as grants, is meant to provide relief support to youth enterprises affected by Covid-19 in measures taken to contain it by staying at home and not being operational.

Youth organisations engaged in the National Task Force relief efforts and are regarded as an essential service are also set to be cushioned as a priority so as to fully execute their duties.

Such organisations include those that manufacture and distribute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and are conducting public awareness campaigns on the pandemic.

Possible beneficiaries of the relief fund should be existing and operating enterprises run by Zimbabwe citizen youths and have been operating for at least six months before the start of the lockdown on March 30.

Minister Coventry said the youth organisations in their applications should state how their operations have been affected by the deadly virus.

“Many businesses have been affected by the pandemic and the youth sector has also not been spared.

“In this regard, Government, through the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation has set up a $17 Million Relief Fund to support youth-led businesses and associations and to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on their operations across the country,” said Minister Coventry in a statement following the launch.

“This Relief Fund targets youth enterprises, and registered youth associations. They must demonstrate how their activities have been impacted by Covid-19 pandemic.”

Minister Coventry said informal sector businesses run by youths will not benefit from the programme if they are not formally registered.

A number of youth businesses are set to fall over the edge as a number of them are not legally registered.

Also the requirement of producing a bank statement dating back to six months to a year prior to the lockdown will be a challenge for most youth enterprises particularly those based in rural areas.

“Their (youths) project or business must have a formalised business structure and complying with the statutory requirements governing that sector.

“Enterprises helping combating Covid19 will be given priority in the release of funds,” said Minister Coventry.

The minister said beneficiaries of the programme will be those who have not yet received any related Covid-19 relief fund.

“Applicants should not have benefitted from other Government Covid 19 relief facilities.

“Disbursement of funds to qualifying beneficiaries shall be a once off payment staggered as: Registered Youth owned businesses/enterprises – up to $5 000 and Youth registered Social Organisations/ Associations – up to $3 000,” said Minster Coventry.

“Those not qualifying according to criteria to be referred to other relief programmes like Social Welfare.”

Minister Coventry assured the nation that mechanisms were in place to ensure that the fund will be administered in an open and transparent manner as well as to ensure that all Zimbabwean youth who meet the set criteria will have an equal chance of benefitting from the programme.

“No application will be turned away. In fact, those that do not qualify under this Fund will be referred to other facilities such as the social protection, arts sector support scheme.

“The application process involves various online platforms mainly because of the precautionary measures put in place to avoid further spread of the corona virus. Youth who fail to access our online platforms can liaise with our provincial contact persons for onward submission to the Head Office and it will be a continuous process,” said Minister Coventry.

Efforts to get a comment from the Zimbabwe Youth Association (ZYC) officials on the number of youths who have applied and benefited from the programme were fruitless as they did not respond to questions sent to them by Business Chronicle. — @mthabisi_mthire.