Some Civil Servants in the country has expressed gratitude over government’s plans to construct over 1000 housing units for its workers in selected parts of the country.
ZANIS reports one of the public workers , James Chiyama, a teacher at Mutendere Basic School, saying in an interview yesterday, that it is commendable for government to initiative a project to build housing units for its workers most of whom are have continued to be victimized by their insensitive landlords.
Mr. Chiyama said President Banda’s government deserves to be ushered in for the second term of office because he has shown himself that he cares for Civil Servants in the country.
And Chipuka Mwale, a Clinical Officers at Mutendere Clinic said Civil Servants across the country are delighted for Government move to solve the accommodation blues which has been affecting Government workers in the country.
Mr. Mwale said a lot of Civil Servants in the country are renting houses a thing which he said it has proved costly for Civil servants.
He said Government should be supported by all Civil servants in the country during this year’s elections.
And Muchimba Namatama, a council worker at Kalingalinga Community Centre payed tribute to Government for the plans to construct houses for Government workers in the country adding that the gesture should be hailed by all workers in the country.
Mrs. Namatama said once houses are constructed, should help teachers, ZANIS employees and many other Government workers living in rented houses throughout the country.
She said this is a move in a right direction and further stated that even if Civil Servant are non partisan, they are delighted with Government imitative to build houses for its workers.
Yesterday, Finance and National Planning public relations officer Chileshe Kandeta announced that government has identified land in all provincial centers and towns for construction of more than 50 residential houses for public service workers and the general public in a bid to address the countrywide shortage of more than one million units.
Mr. Kandeta said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that in a spirit of Public Private Partnership (PPP) a total of fifty-seven houses will be constructed on a rent-to-own basis beginning this year.
“Since 2009, creative ways of partnering with the private sector to deliver social and public infrastructure through the Public Private Partnership initiative have been adopted and it is in this spirit that the housing developments in all provinces will be financed and constructed by the private sector, commencing this year.
“The costs to be incurred by developers will be recovered through the sale of completed units to Government employees and members of the general public,” he said.
Mr. Kandeta said for Lot one a combined total of 30,000 houses in Lusaka, Ndola and Kitwe will be constructed, with 10,000 being erected in each township while 160,000 housing units will be constructed in Livingstone, Kabwe, Chingola and Luanshya. 4,000 residential houses are earmarked to be built the latter four localities.
110,000 housing stalks are expected to be constructed in Mongu, Chipata, Kasama, Mazabuka, Choma, Kalomo, Kapiri-Mposhi, Mansa, Chililabombwe, Mufulira and Kalulushi districts.
Mr. Kandeta said to continue promoting transparency and accountability in the handling of the PPP projects and in line with Section 42 of the PPP Act no 14 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning is encouraging the local private sector to seize the opportunity of partnering with Government to construct the countrywide housing units.
“This initiative is scheduled to reduce the current housing crunch involving a countrywide shortage of approximately one million five hundred housing units. It is also consistent with the public expectation for the Government to accelerate infrastructure development throughout the country,” Mr. Kandeta said.
He has urged Zambians to also grasp the opportunity and work themselves or with foreign investors for them to submit technical and financial proposals for the Design, Build and lease or sell of Low, Medium and High Cost residential units either in their Own Right, Joint Venture of Consortium.
The Ministry has designed an assessment mechanism for ensuring that there is participation of locals in the housing development programme to guarantee citizen empowerment.
“On completion, the 57, 000 housing units are expected not only to trigger the lowering of shelter rentals countrywide but also to ensure that more Zambians are empowered with their own homes.
“During the construction stage the initiative will create economic opportunities and thousands of consolidated job opportunities country-wide during and after the various construction stages,” he said.
ZANIS
Well done GRZ… Zambia is on the move. Keep up the hard work
Useless…plans…while civil servants get masese…………………
RB at work, this will be done because he keeps his promises
Rubish mashisomething, what has RB done or the MMD. Read and learn how other countries living Angola are building tall complex for housing units.
Can the editors at LT try to edit their pieces of work before posting them here. Otherwise the wrong grammer in the articles posted here, would be taken to reflect lack of seriousness on LT and its editors.
That said a comprehensive housing project to cover the whole country is a good idea.
There in no need for civil sufferres to develop heart palpitations! A few new buildings only mushroom in an election year,after that everything goes to sleep. Believe me, if the GRZ was working the way it does in a yr of election,many civil servants were going to have decent accommodation. It is just by bringing in NEW leadership each election yr that we can see real development in zambia. RETIRE THE POLITICIANS THE WAY A CIVIL SERVANT RETIRES!
Little too late!?!?!
LT do you really want to be taken as a serious publication?One wonders what kind of writers and editors can put together such a piece of poor journalism.Some glaring grammatical errors put into doubt the qualifications of those behind this work.
They know that most civil servants are pf so is to entice them with houses but dnt shift from chawama yet you will be shocked.lets wait patiently for those houses.
The same housing unit later will be sold at K10,000 in an election year, after spending more than K80,000,000 on each unit. What a shame! This govt, all RBish. Taxpayers will again have to sacrifice for this foolishness by RB. Development should be continiuos and coordinated, not just dreaming everytime.
We need to vote every for sure this way we are assured of development from the Govt.
No wonder there is lack of continuity,why label the houses? Houses for soldiers, teachers, policemen, cadres etc. Just build the houses for every Zambian to occupy. Why segregate, every Zambian deserve a decent accommodation without considering his job title.