Govt to strengthen monitoring of projects

Government says it will this year strengthen monitoring measures to ensure that various projects being undertaken in the country are not abandoned by contractors.

Ministry of Finance and National Planning Permanent Secretary in charge of Planning and Economic
Development Division James Mulungushi said there is need for Government to strictly monitor projects wherever they are being undertaken in the country.

Dr Mulungushi said this in Kazungula today when he made an on the spot check on the progress made in the construction of Kazungula Boarding High School, the first ever high school in the district.

He said Government was in a hurry to ensure that economical growth that is being achieved in the
country trickles down to lower levels.

Dr Mulungushi said the only way poverty would be reduced in the country is to ensure that people in
rural areas have access to good health, education and agriculture.

He said the country can only achieve economic development if it had an educated population.

Dr Mulungushi said education was one of the key sectors in the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) adding that Government was interested in seeing people progress in their education.

He said it would be difficult for uneducated people to move the country forward economically.

And Southern Province Permanent Secretary Darius Hakayobe said the provincial administration had put a committee in place to ensure that all projects in the province were monitored every three months.

Mr Hakayobe said the committee has been put in place to ensure that money is not misappropriated.

He also complained that contractors were being funded directly from the Ministry of Education without involving the local people.

Mr Hakayobe also called on the contractors to employ more local people instead of bringing workforce from Lusaka.

Speaking earlier, Zambia China Construction Company (ZAMCHIN) foreman Edwin Zimba said the first phase of the construction of Kazungula boarding high school commenced in September last year.

Mr Tembo said the project involves the construction of 3 by one by two classroom blocks, four teachers houses, girls dormitories and the administration block.

He said 30 workers have so far been employed on site the majority of them being from Lusaka while the locals had rejected the wage rates which range between K5,000 to K13,000 per day.