Minister Nkandu Assures Prompt Payment for IVAG Participants
Honourable Elvis Nkandu, the Minister of Youth, Sport, and Arts, has assured all participants under the Internship, Volunteer, Apprenticeship, and Graduates (IVAG) programme that they will receive their payments within the next week.
During a meeting with IVAG participants at the Ministry this morning, Minister Nkandu conveyed that the necessary funds are available to settle all outstanding dues owed to the youth currently engaged in the programme.
Accompanied by his Permanent Secretary in-charge of Youth and Sport, Kangwa Chileshe, the Minister engaged with the youth, addressing their concerns and questions regarding payments and the potential for permanent engagement in the public service.
Acknowledging the grievances raised by the participants, Honourable Nkandu assured them that all pending payments would be processed and disbursed by the end of the upcoming week.
However, he highlighted that certain payment issues arose due to participants providing details for dormant accounts, leading to bouncing transactions.
In response, he advised those affected to activate their accounts promptly, while instructing the ministry’s accounts department to expedite payments for those not yet processed.
Following the official discussions, Minister Nkandu took the opportunity to interact with the youths on a personal level, sharing a light moment to foster a positive and encouraging atmosphere.