About 600 marketeers and vendors who got soft loans under the Presidential Initiative Empowerment scheme have not paid back the money.
Association of Vendors and Marketeers, AVEMA President, Abel Chikwa confirmed to Breeze News that only a few traders are paying back the money but with difficulties.
Mr. Chikwa says his organisation registered 3 thousand marketeers and vendors to get the soft loans but slightly over 600 are the ones that got the money when the mode of payment was being tested.
He explained that the Bank system they are using to pay the soft loans had developed some technical fault as it was recording wrong figures of people that got the money, a situation that has delayed the payment of other traders.
Mr. Chikwa says the technical fault at the Bank is being worked on and by next week, about 300 marketeers and vendors who registered with AVEMA will be given their money in Chipata.
The AVEMA President urged traders to ensure that they pay back the money so that others can also benefit from the loans, which range between 400 to 2 thousand Kwacha.
Some marketeers and vendors who have not yet accessed the loans have vowed not to vote for PF if they are not given the money before August this year.