NETHERLAND'S non-governmental organisation, Agriterra, has expressed its commitment to improve the cooperative sector by supporting unions to employ qualified staff who would move them to the next level.

Agriterra's Business Advisor in the country, Mr Waziri Mikidadi, said the cooperative sector was vital to the national economy as it cuts across a number of avenues.

He said as they marked the World Cooperative Day on Friday, the company could launch employment project intending to benefit ten cooperatives societies.

"We want increased efficiency and accountability among the cooperative unions and societies since qualified and committed staff are key for creating a vibrant sector, and we have thus decided to support them," said Mr Waziri. He added that to start with, 50 staff would be employed.

He named other African countries that are beneficiary of the project as Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda.

"In joining the fifth phase government in improving the cooperative sector, we have decided to come up with the capacity building and manpower sustainability to improve efficiency and operations of the unions and societies," said Mr Waziri.

The move, he said, had been taken after realising that there are a number of manpower challenges in cooperative unions and societies for smooth overseeing of assets, properties and finances.

He said the organisation had been dealing with cooperatives in areas of farming, livestock, and irrigation consultancy among others, in a bid to improve the socio-economic welfare of community members.

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