ZAMBIA in the last five years received over US$200 million from the World Bank for improvement of the road network.
The bank has supported several roads in most parts of the country, according to country manager Kapil Kapoor in response to a query.
Dr Kapoor (right) said the World Bank has been supporting Government’s efforts to improve the road network in Zambia for several years because financing needs in the sector are significant.
“However, the financing needs for the road sector are substantial and ensuring value for money is critical,” he said.
He said that there are considerable governance challenges confronting the sector, as emphasised recently by Minister of Works and Supply Mike Mulongoti during a Construction Sector Transparency Initiative workshop.
Dr Kapoor said the road sector will benefit from initiatives such as COST, a project funded by the British Government through the Department for International Development and supported by the World Bank to enhance transparency and accountability of public-financed construction projects.
Over the five-year period, the bank has supported the rehabilitation of Chingola-Kasumbalesa road, Kafulafuta-Luanshya by-pass and Lusaka-Chirundu road.
Other roads include the stretch in Lower Zambezi National Park, Kafue National Park, Mosi-O-Tunya National Park and in selected districts of Luapula and Northern provinces.
Dr Kapoor said there are significant delays associated with road transport citing transporting by road from Lusaka to Durban taking about eight days.
“Transporting freight from Lusaka to Durban by road, a journey of 2,500 kilometres, takes on average eight days to complete, with four days of travel time and four days spent at border crossings.”
“Thus, although trucks are running at velocities of 50-60 kilometres per hour, the effective speed of freight movement is no more than 12 kilometres per hour,” he said.
Dr Kapoor said the cost of delays for an eight axle interlink truck has been estimated at about US$300 per day, which, given traffic volumes, represents a loss of more than US$50 million per year.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
l-) Sad that our grandchildren will have to pay for our sins. Like Rikkiy Ililonga clearly put it, ubuntungwa twalipoka…..”Twikashitishe ichalo” Please lord help us [-o<
Ba LT naimwe….”twika s h i t i s h e ichalo” What’s wrong with that? Let’s not sell off our country!!!! :((:((:((:((
$200m is not enough to construct 200km of roads. It is a pathetic amount.
Which roads? In Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe or Chipata?
well reported. now may the relevant govt bodies account for that money………..
Was this money well spent? The Luanshya-Kafulafuta Road was among the roads worked on but had developed pot holes in less than a year. Isn’t this a sign of glaring corruption?
6, that has always been my puzzle. within one year of constructing a road, it will be full of potholes. Our government is the biggest joke. it is shame when you have lived in other African countries next door to us like Bots, witnessed how, once a road is done, never would you ever witness such within a year of it’s make. Because the tender are awarded to highly scrunitised companies with, financial regulations that no shoody jobs or short cuts to be done. It is pathetic, at what has happened to mother Zambia.