ZAMBIA needs about US$500 million to carry out an overhaul on road infrastructure in the next five years, Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti has said.
And the Zambia Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) has called for the setting up of a railway master plan that would connect all provinces to the existing railway line.
Mr Mulongoti said the results of the Needs Assessment Report for 2009 from the Highway Management System projected an annual budgetary amount of $500 million for the period of five years to completely maintain and restore all roads from poor condition to good and fair state.
Speaking in Lusaka yesterday at the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) breakfast meeting hosted by ZACCI, Mr Mulongoti said the strategy was to concentrate on ongoing road projects with the objective of seeing them to completion.
The main types of intervention on the roads are classified as upgrading as well as periodic and routing maintenance, rehabilitation, consultancy services and capacity building.
Mr Mulongoti said there was slow release of the funds from the national treasury due to the effects of the global financial crisis.
He said the deficit required to do an overhaul on roads stood at K153 billion and that some works had been suspended due to lack of funds.
Some of the projects earmarked for completion include the rehabilitation of Zimba to Livingstone road, Luanshya to Mpongwe, rehabilitation of Chipata urban roads, upgrading of Kasama Luwingu road, Choma – Chitongo road and the periodic maintenance of selected Lusaka township roads among others.
The total budget for 2010 annual work plan is K1,294 trillion.
And ZACCI president Hanson Sindowe said the need to come up with a railway master plan that connects all provinces to the existing railway line could not be over emphasised.
Mr Sindowe said the Government should own the railway lines and maintain them so that the private sector could effectively run railway trucks.
In a speech read for him by ZACCI vice-president Geoffrey Sakulanda, Mr Sindowe said improving the railway system in Zambia would significantly reduce the cost of transportation and make industry competitive.
“It would also preserve the roads from rapid wear and tear. We should as a country think about having electric trains to connect to the ports.
“Currently, Zambia’s lack of adequate infrastructure is acting as a constraint on the expansion of economic activity and trade,” Mr Sindowe said.
He said it was important for the Government to priotise transport, construction and communication to achieve the needed economic growth for Zambia to attain high-income status by 2030.
[Times of Zambia]
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I hate you Mr. Mulongoti, given a chance i would gun you down…[-(
Mike, show us your working document where these figures came from. Where is the feasiblity study and by who? Facts before you yap, yap, yap
Banda’s criminal syndicate is coming out. Yesterday there was a story about having been given or borrowed the same amount for roads. Today, exactly one day after, they want exactly te same amount. Can someone show the nation the roads were they spent the other amount?
Crying over spilt milk – the Mineral royalty tax that was squashed by your govt had projected to earn US$420 million in 2008 (one year tax earnings only) which could have helped you finance the roads infrastructure rehabilitation projects amongst other needs. only US$ 80 m would have been sourced to meet your requirements!
Imagine a Zambia, without Bembas! I think the country would have moved forward by now. Bembas, Bembas, Bembas. Iam tired of you chaps.
So we are short of US$ 300 million, I guess we can just call up the chinese and they will give us the balance. :d
This is just mere talk. There is no will to implement proposed projects of such magnitude. ZACCI had better talk of other things. GRZ has let minners in Solwezi transport copper to Copperbelt for processing using trucks instaed of building a railway line. Chingola – Solwezi road is being damaged at a fast rate coz even its initial construction was not for such heavy duty trucks.
The MMD is just full of failures.8->:-@
Get the cash from Kafupi-period. He has that kind of money which he stole.
# 5 exactly my sentiments. The govt is chimbwi no plan. I remeber once Penza MHSRIP told off MPs in parliament that they have never made personal budgets even for their homes yet they debate a national budget. Our leaders have no foresight. The more reason why we need fresh blood. One should show individual success at managing personal finances.
Start by cutting down on the President’s fruitless trips abroad and reducing the size of his entourages. Then as said by # 5 get down to the businees of wind fall taxes
What time can this Minister have to plan for the nation when he believes licking RB boots is his fulltime job?
Hence the windfall tax on mining activities would have covered this as it would have raised about $600m.
Just looking at thiis man s face one can see how dull the chap is. No direction but check how active he will be at the airport wen his boss comes his tours of the world as a tourist.
This man even the face can tell hhow dull he is.
Instead of insulting people, it would be interesting to know what Sata’s plans for the road infrastructure are. It is easy to insult the government but then what would be the alternative scenario if a different administration was in power.
#17 – Sata & HH’s plans are simple for Infrastructure development are simple. Reintroduce Windfall taxes, be tough on the Indian and Chinese Mines owners to ensure there paying what they ought to and not they want to give you, Increase Mineral royal taxes from 0.6 to 3%. Is that too complex to figure our honestly. I leave you to calculate if revenue gain will not have suppassed $500MM in just one budget year
Last week PF councillors were blamed by Kafupi for the deplorable state of our road. Franch and Spanish towns are flooded with residents being moved to better and drier ground, I only hope Kafupi wont say Sata exported those floods to Europe. Anything is possible with Kafupi
Do we have roads here in Zambia???????? The first time I started driving I felt so ashamed of myself coz I thought I was drunk.. I have never driven straight for ten minutes because of Pot Holes. Nga ulekoneka pa kwensha it means you are sober and if you drive straight nishi Naubumuka utu Jili jili!!!!!!!!!!! u are not avoiding Pot Holes!!!!!!!!!!!
Fools, if we have 2 billion in reserves, lets use it to upgrade our infrastructure! It is so painful driving on Zambian roads.
While I bet we can fix all the roads in a month if Rupiah just stayed in Zambia for a month and stays in Lusaka, while George Kunda does not do aerial tours of Lusakax([-x[-x[-x[-xx([-x[-x[-x:-j:-j:-j:-j
What about the road after Nchelenge to Kaputa. That Katele Kalumba has done nothing for the people there. He is just busy enriching himself. Please bawesu, do not vote for Kalumba in the next elections! I was really annoyed to find that the area is as backward as it was in the colonial days. Not even a borehore in sight.
This is what people in all areas should be doing telling these dull politicians as it. The roads in rural areas are not there and that’s why they fly there. People can not access markets for there farm produce. I really value the Lamba chiefs for doing that instead of allowing themselves to manipulated by cheap government propaganda. The road to Chibote, chief chama is not even gazzeted and Catholics that used to work on it have stopped.
You are hereby invited to attend a meeting at the Zambia High Commission on Friday, 12 April 2010 starting from 1800 – 2030. The meeting is to enlighten fellow Zambians here in the UK about the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) which has been created by the Government of Zambia to enable it provide funds for Zambians to run businesses. The Chief Executive of CEEC, Ms Mable Mung’omba will lead the discussions.
Correction – Sorry! Date is 12 March NOT April.