DAR ES SALAAM, June 23 -- JUST 20 per cent of the groups that applied for interest-free loans under a new empowerment scheme by CRDB Bank Foundation and Ilala Municipal Council have qualified, officials revealed during the programmes official launch.

Out of 120 groups that submitted applications, only 25 met the requirements for accessing the loans. The funding worth a total of 18bn/- comes from Ilala Councils 10 per cent allocation of its own-source revenue, in line with national directives to empower women, youth and people with disabilities.

The launch, presided over by Ilala District Commissioner Edward Mpogolo on behalf of Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila, followed weeks of capacity building and financial litera...