ADVANCED African Solutions plans to construct grain silos countrywide with a minimum of US$100 million investment earmarked for the project.
In an interview in Lusaka, Advanced African Solutions managing director Keith Smith said the company has submitted a proposal to Government to construct silos in Zambia.
Mr Smith said work is expected to start once the project is approved.
“We are ready to start construction of silos in Zambia as soon as Government approves the project. The project is demand-driven and US$100 million is a minimum, we can invest over a US$1 billion,” he said.
Zambia has for the past two consecutive farming seasons recorded bumper harvests and requires adequate silos for the storage of grain.
Mr Smith said two options are involved in funding the project; either government funds10 percent of the cost or the Advanced African Solutions funds the entire project and later lease the units.
Advanced African Solutions is a United States company with offices in southern Africa. The company is in real estate development and construction management sector. It is involved in projects such as road construction, education, energy, agro-business, health-care, residential, hotel and leisure.
He said the projects are managed on build – operate – train – transfer basis in countries where it operates like South Africa, United States and the Middle East.
Mr Smith also said the firm is discussing with Government on possibility to supply mobile hospitals that comes in tractor-trailers with slide out pods.
The hospital trailer is the patient care facility and is divided internally into the surgical suite for operative procedures, shock resuscitation and the emergency care unit.
Mr Smith said the support trailer has two levels inside containing the equipment, supplies and also provides a lounge, kitchen and sleeping quarters for the staff to rest.
The company also supplies mobile hospitals that provide fast, mobile, climate controlled, state-of-the-art, emergency or primary medical.
Mr Smith said the mobile hospitals have proven to be flexible medical facilities that can provide preventive and acute medicine to urban and rural areas and can be used in any emergencies, disasters or quarantine facilities.
He said the company holds on the project for five years after building and operating the units, as well as training the owners and finally transferring the knowledge to the locals.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Silos proposal is a great idea. A lot of grain goes to waste each yr despite bumper harvests. This is the kind of FDI we need; which has a tangible effect on our agri sector. Keep it up RB/ Mutati, viva infrastructure development.
Ok… this is good.we need this in most of our districts.
Silos yes, manje ilyashi lya mobile hospitals nope!! I should think this mobile thing could actually be the man’s main interest. CAUTTION PLEASE!!!!!!
this is what we call development if Bwezani was doing this
from the start i would have voted for him this year, but
its too late
National Food storage is an important national security matter, and cannot be left to the wheelers and dealers to manipulate. There is no way a foreign entity must be allowed to take charge of our food security. I guess the amount of love for money is definately beyond normalcy in Zambia, especially among our leaders.
Well done GRZ. However, as this looks like a Public Private Partnership (PPP), just make sure it’s independently economically evaluated to ensure that it is good value for taxpayers’ money. I have to agree these sorts of projects are well long overdue. Namboard had a few silos around the country. I wonder if they are being refurbished.
We need the Siolos and this is long overdue please allow them to start so that the so called bumper harvest does not go to waste.
One also has to do a cost benefit analysis of these in that the storage can be either done on a strategic level or where soome of the maize will be sold in the present year of harvest. Good deal…………..
Ba chimbwi imwe, ifima Silos twalikwata, they just need to be rennovated. Most of them just luck the maize to be filled in.
iwe chi #4 be realistic! do you realise that rb is serving less than half the mandatory term of five years? this is as good as starting developments at the beginning of the term…. if it was a five year term like he should have had
Ok so it looks like RB knew this investment was coming when he was appealing for investment in silos through the media. I hope he has no cuts from tis deal.
It is very interesting the timing of a lot of these ‘developments’. The country is riddled with power mongers, whose interest is to exploit all you, have voters in voting for them. Funny how the trend of ‘investments’ gradually steepen with elections getting close isn’t it?
Any one getting excited about these developments need their head examined. It is all a ply to make the current MMD look as though they are doing a great job. It is interesting how the phrase of finishing ‘our’ job is thrown in before any election. We are all being fooled here being undermined by these.
Excellent comments as usual, they say it is a sign of a good politician. Zambians are too in love of their own voice to speak the ‘truth’. Wake up! Thanks
We have silos, constructed by NAMBOARD, only that the MMD allowed them to rot so that they could rebuild them again under PPP so that the thugs can eat and be make merry.
The company also supplies mobile hospitals that provide fast, mobile, climate controlled, state-of-the-art, emergency or primary medical.
Mr Smith said the mobile hospitals have proven to be flexible medical facilities that can provide preventive and acute medicine to urban and rural areas and can be used in any emergencies, disasters or quarantine facilities
So this American company also supplies stae-of-the-art mobile hospitals? They operate in RSA, USA and MiddleEast. well…No comment. SILOS (modern) are greatly welcome and those left by Namboard can be refurbished. US$100m to US$1Billion is not a joke. This Co has seen the potential in our Agriculture. Mushota, elections or no elections…this is welcome.period.
Which NAMBOARD silos? The first MMD (vendor) government sold them. They apparently knew nothing about food security.
wats wrong with us people, a business person is one who sees an opportunity all these guys are coming to make money. its not about who is a president as long as there is an opportunity period. so linking business enterprise development or supply chain and linkages to a party is really not wise
$100 million on silos, this amount cant even finish renovating already existing silos and ba chimbwi are happy. They even have the audacity to say they supply mobile hospitals. iye UBUTUTU pa chalo.
I am sure there is 10% cut for James Banda!!
#16 Zero options. what about yourself, what can you supply or produce in the range of a million dollas in value. I fully agree wityh #9 Chilombo, RB has only been in office for less than half the 5year term. Within his second year in office he has built schools, clinics and hospitals including mobile ones. He has now lauched the urban road rehabilitation program in all provinces of Zambia. Because of the favourable business invironment he has created, investors are now flocking to zambia to invest in various sectors including agriculture by way of building grain silos from there own capital. What more do you want from a president? more money in your pocket in 90 days? if thats what you want the you better vote for Dr Vongo Chabwera kumanda
OKAY I understand that we need silos and stuff. But doesn’t this sound a little curious or suspicious that barely a few days after RB announces the need for private sector to get involved in Silos construction, suddenly in just a few days we have a company announcing that it has money and has applied to government to construct silos??????????? Maybe it’s my dirty suspicious mind… Well, never mind. But to me it smells of sewerage!!
#57, Knocked Engine.
Iam on the ground and if you are not privy to technical info, its not my fault. We are debating the $100 million investiment to build silos all over the country.Have you any idea how many silos were built between 1971 and 1982? Just go within Southern and copperbelt provinces and you will be socked that we have enough silos to carter for 3 times the bumper harvest if at all such a miracle can happen. De
The idea is great but this Smith guy and his company Advanced African Solutions do not check out anywhere – I’m 99% certain this is a fraud…… Watch out Zambians, an environment that offers so many great economic opportunities attracts all kinds of con men….. Do your independent research on this guy and you will see what I am talking about…….
Matter of fact there is another article in The Africa Report that Advanced Africa Solutions is investing 250Million dollars in Zambia’s agriculture – The inconsistency in figures across different medias makes me even more suspicious of Keith Smith and his Advanced Africa Solutions – Zambians do your due diligence..
Very suspect of GRZ. Finish off the roads first. It’s embarrassing when we get overseas visitors. The potholes and general disrepair of our roads. You can tell mmd are desperate in my opinion they are biting off more than they can chew! bite size chunks, after all Rome was not built in a day. They are acting like children in a sweet shop.