Utilization of Technology and Sustainability of the Youth Development Fund in the Copperbelt and Lusaka Province in Zambia

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Date
2021-04
Authors
Bwalya, Chikumbi Ruth
Njangiru, Mungai John
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance (IOSR-JEF)
Abstract
In Zambia the access to finance is hard and costly attributable to high lending rates. This has led to most Zambians together with the youths failing to access finances leading to the increase in volumes of youth unemployment and poverty. In turn to act in response to Zambia’s youth unemployment crisis, the government of Zambia through the Ministry of Youth Sport and Child Development established the Youth Development Fund in 2006 to reduce poverty by enhanced job creation. In this programme sustainability has been difficult to achieve because of low repayment rate of beneficiaries. The study sought to examine the utilization of technology and sustainability of the youth development fund in Zambia with evidence from Copperbelt and Lusaka province. The specific objective of the study was to assess the effect of technology on sustainability of the youth development fund in Zambia. The study was anchored on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and the Institutional and sustainability theory. A descriptive research design and a purposive sampling method were used with a sample size of 207 respondents from both Copperbelt and Lusaka provinces. The study relied on primary data, with the aid of a questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS, frequency tables, charts and multiple regression analysis. In line with the objectives of the study, the findings revealed that technology was statistically significant to sustainability of the youth development fund. The study recommended that the ministry of youth sport and child development should provide business and financial coaching for beneficiaries, ensure they install a monitoring business performance system to monitor beneficiaries, as well as adopt the use of technology where an integrated electronic management system for loan assortment will be used track beneficiaries and also keep necessary records pertaining to the fund.
Description
A Research Article in the IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance (IOSR-JEF)
Keywords
Technology, Sustainability, Loan Repayment, Government Revolving Funds, Youth Development Fund.
Citation
BWALYA, C. R., & NJANGIRU, D. M. J. 35. Utilization of Technology and Sustainability of the Youth Development Fund in the Copperbelt and Lusaka Province in Zambia. In 2nd International Business Research and Industrial Conference (IBRIC) (p. 349).