THE Government has launched the 2010-2014 youth development strategic plan, which provides a framework for effective administration of child, youth, sports and HIV/AIDS programmes.

Speaking at the launch Sport, Youth and Child DevelMminister Mundia Ndalamei said that the preparation of the plan was not an easy task undertaken by his ministry and the Management Development Division (MDD).

Mr Ndalamei said that the strategic plan was an important tool as it set out how the ministry would achieve its goals of helping improve the status of the youth in the country.

He said that in order for the strategic plan to succeed, it should be communicated to the youths so that it positively impacts on them.

Mr Ndalamei said youths had a unique role to play because they comprised 68 percent of the population.

He said the Government had continued to help the youth and at the end of 2009, many of them had been trained in various skills.

The strategic plan sought to improve infrastructure, reform youths and improve the capacity of sports associations so that they would become independent and help the country attain the middle income status.

MDD permanent secretary Nedson Lisati said the challenge that still remained was the restructuring of institutions under the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development.

He said that there was need to commercialise sports institutions to avoid over-dependence on the Government adding the plan should not be seen as an end in itself but as a vehicle for youth development.