Nakonde one- stop border post nears completion

Construction of a K 30 billion one-stop border at Nakonde in Northern Province is nearing completion.

Nakonde District Commissioner Edwin Sinyinza told Zambia News and Information Services [ZANIS] in an interview in Nakonde yesterday that construction works at Nakonde customs are progressing well.

Mr.Sinyinza who described the works being carried out by China Jiangxi as simply superb, said construction works are expected to be completed by March 2010.

He said that the contractor has so far done 50 percent of the total work.

The district commissioner said the one-stop border once completed would enhance revenue collection for the Zambia Revenue Authority [ZRA] and will also increase efficiency in the clearance of goods and traffic.

Mr. Sinyinza stated that staff levels that were currently very low would be improved once construction of a one-border stop has been completed.

Mr. Sinyinza said construction of one-stop border is a major project that Government under took in 2009 in the entire Northern Province.

And Mr. Sinyinza has appealed to the contractors in the border town to emulate China Jiangxi by doing good jobs once awarded a contract by the Government.

He said he was disappointed with the construction works of some local contractors who have been given jobs by the Government.

Mr. Sinyinza warned that the Government would deal firmly with local contractors who were doing shoddy works adding that works which are below standard cost the Government a lot of money and will therefore, not be tolerated.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sinyinza has disclosed that revenue collection has improved at Nakonde border following new measures introduced by ZRA.

Mr. Sinyinza said that though the border was still experiencing smuggling, the situation was not as bad as it was in the recent past.

“Though I can not give exact figures in terms of what is being collected by ZRA at Nakonde border, revenue collection has tremendously improved at this border and this is largely because of the new measures that he authority has put in place,” Said Mr. Sinyinza.

ZANIS