THE Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has assured that it will carry out its operations in accordance with the current government's stance on corruption.

CEEC director general Likando Mukumbuta said the irregularities that used to happen at the institution during the past few years would now be a thing of the past because measures had been put in place to change the scenario.

Mr Mukumbuta warned his officers against stealing public resources.

He was speaking in Mansa yesterday during a business consultative meeting.

He said CEEC would make serious adjustments in the disbursement of resources to those who would qualify for the funds to ensure effectiveness.

Mr Mukumbuta further said 30 per cent of the CEEC funds would be allocated to youth empowerment programmes while the remaining 70 per cent would be for women and other empowerment programmes.

He said Zambians would be given first priority when it comes to benefitting from the empowerment funds because the commission was formed to empower citizens.

He reiterated that CEEC funds were meant to revolve among Zambians so that they could improve their livelihoods at domestic and community levels.

Recently, Mr Mukumbuta revealed the commission was still owed more than K117 billion out of the K206-billion loans disbursed since the commission's inception.

The commission had collected more than K13 billion this year and had now become a member of the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB).

The CEEC is still owed K117.5 billion by clients from different provinces in the country.

This year the commission has recovered K13, 033,366,778.80, bringing the total amount of the recovered loans to about K42 billion from 2008 to-date out of the total disbursement of K206 billion.