The Government of the Republic of Zambia has today signed the Concession Agreement for the Design, Financing, Building, Operation, Maintenance and Transfer of 35km of the mining transportation channel of the Chingola-Kasumbalesa using the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) financing model.
Finance and National Planning Minister Hon. Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane signed on behalf of the Government and Road Development Agency (RDA) acting Director and Chief Executive Officer Eng. Grace Mutembo signed as head of the implementing Agency.
Director and Chief Executive Officer for Turbo-Ka-Chin Investment Consortium E. Shangfa was also part of the signatories.
The Concession Agreement has been signed with Messrs. Turbo-Ka-Chin Investment Consortium who have been conferred with the status of Concessionaire for the Chingola to Kasumbalesa road.
The event was witnessed by Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Hon. Eng. Charles Miliupi, Transport and Logistics Minister Hon. Frank Tayali, Technology and Science Minister Hon. Felix Mutati and Mines and Minerals Development Minister Hon. Paul Kabuswe.
In his remarks, Hon. Eng. Charles Milupi said the transportation sector was critical to economic growth as it facilitated commerce and trade in goods and services, as well as people movement.
“In this regard, the Government has prioritized the development and maintenance of transportation and logistics infrastructure. As a result, in order to overcome the constraints imposed by limited financial resources, the new dawn Government intends to build or rehabilitate these high-traffic roads using the Public-Private Partnership financing model,” Hon. Eng. Milupi said.
He said this model is intended to relieve fiscal pressure by allowing the private sector to collaborate with the Government by investing in public infrastructure and receiving compensation in the form of toll fees for a set period of time.
” This financing model would in turn, improve the delivery of sustainable Public-Private Partnership projects for improved infrastructure development and service delivery. Furthermore, the development of a project like this will serve as a springboard for various youths on the Copperbelt, as it will result in the creation of many jobs in the project area during the construction period as well as the operation and maintenance phase,” he said.
Hon. Eng. Milupi said the goal of the project was to make it easier for traffic to move between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Among the notable features of the project would include the widening of the road from Chingola to Kasumbalesa, with the last 3km being finished off with a concrete paved dual carriageway. A toll plaza, two truck parks, and a type 2 weighbridge are other features.
Hon. Eng. Milupi reiterated Government’s commitment to constructing cutting-edge public infrastructure at the right price, quality, and timeline.
It’s another Chinese loan. ABC had told us that Chinese money is sweet. Vital info is missing, what’s the duration of the concession? We know that Luburma market has a 65yr concession, so why not tell us on this? Mufisanji amambala? The weighbridge must be positioned at the Solwezi junction to capture traffic from the other side. I think a dry port around Shimulala or the former motor sports arena can be ideal. It’ll address the problem of delayed clearing process of trucks. A toll plaza on this stretch will affect smaller vehicles and minibuses, or will it be after Chililabombwe town towards the border?
Wonderful !! can our New Dawn Govt now move quickly and also sign the PPP contract for the Lusaka/ Ndola Dual Carriageway please… this will be a game changer for our economy…..by mid 2023 we must also conclude another PPP for the Lusaka/ Livingstone Dual Carriageway….. another game changer for our domestic tourism and agriculture……
PPP means PPP,who said anything about loans here ????? the PPP model is being very sucessfully pursed in Kenya,Uganda and Tanzania,resulting in very efficient expressways among other vital infrastructure …..
Pursued………
I guess the toll gate proceeds on that road will pay back that loan in no time, because the main users of that road are certainly trucks
It’s silent on how much each category of vehicle will be charged per use of that road. You can estimate if the cost of the project were revealed and the concession period. These are the MMD tricks. They withhold vital information. That’s how those Chinese bicycles found themselves in MMD circles and some Ministers went to prison because of them. That’s how Varun the Pepsi company got tax concessions exchange for contracts to supply cement blocks. Zambia doesn’t change much, it’s only the players that do
ifyo balekondema , lelo fyalowa.Kano ngaebo, relativism at work
Why not tell us the costs involved amd duration …surely GRZ could have just done a turnkey contract here and paid it off with toll fees themselves..travelling by road is now becoming anexpensive venture with these unnecessary charges.