The European Union (EU) and Government have signed a KR826 million contract to repair Great East Road.
The works on the road would start from Luangwa Bridge to Mwami Border Post in Chipata.
The government has also signed an MOU with the EU meant to upscale conservation Farming valued at 11.1 million Euros and a Financing Agreement for capacity Building for Non State Actors amounting to 5.5 million Euros.
Speaking during the signing ceremony last night, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda who signed on behalf of the Zambian government described EU’s financial support to Zambia as confirmation of its commitment to ensuring such assistance is demand driven and in line with the national development plans and priorities.
Mr. Chikwanda said the Patriotic Front (PF) government is looking to strengthening sustainability especially around the areas of job creation and rural development.
He further disclosed that his government is also in the process of reviewing the Sixth National Development Plan so that it is sequenced in such a way as to implement infrastructure projects which on the overall will increase human welfare and productivity.
The Finance Minister has also appealed to the EU to consider supporting Zambia to develop and sustain hydro power generation and transmission Infrastructure.
And speaking at same event, EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs commended Zambia’s strides in implementing projects meant for poverty reduction.
Commissioner Piebalgs also applauded Zambia’s sustained commitment to regional integration.
This is an interesting and surprising development considering that Zambia has of late been in the news for all the wrong reasons regarding human rights abuse and clamping down on opposition leaders. I thought these were key considerations for receiving support from multi-lateral donors such as the EU.
This is money meant for Zambians not PF. The EU office in Zambia will administer these monies directly and not PF. This is not support for PF’s abuse of human rights but support for Zambians.
My dear brothers, honestly speaking…., do you really think the west is interested when you killing each other? infact there are more than happy, this means profit for them, when there is peace, its critical that means no bussiness for them, take a look at Syria, how many are dead? innocent women, children, the old etc, what action has been taken so far? non all because Powerful equipped Russia is bedding them also because they have platonium which Zambia doesnt have, So borrowing is the next best thing we can offer on the table, kaloba to be specific! So keep killing each other and pulling yourselves down, no one will run to your rescue, EU is bussy night and day dealing with Greece, France, Spain and Portugal, nabambi nashako, so there is your answer!
The money is meant to control African countries and not a sign of good governance. Offcourse when things reach the Zimbabwe level, they withdraw their attempt to control you because they know they can never.
Uko inkongole bapena, borrowing all over the show, i hope this money will yied fruits, surving on credit forever typical!
Kr826million is a lot of money by any standard. Unfortunately in Zambia we always get lesser value of any sum of money due to dishonesty, theft, poor work etiquette, longer lead times in implementing developmental programmes, etc. in South Africa for example an equivalent of Kr826million can build a high quality, two lane, high traffic volume, smooth, strong and durable tarred road of 7metres in width, with a bituminous well stabilised and compacted road surface of at least 15cm in depth and 250kilometers long. That’s the quality of of quality workmanship!. But here in zed they’ll give us a road less than 250km in length, narrower than 7meters and a road surface of not any bitumen thicker than a layer of Vaseline on your face in winter! Shame!
This shows that the international community can no longer be cheated by selfish politicians who are bent on anything that will put them into state house at the expence of national development. Agreed we still have governance issues carried forward from UNIP and MMD which even the UPND cannot remedy in two years. When you look at many african and indeed the world at large, Zambia is by far a very stable place hence the growing investor confidence. Lets cherish these developments rather than tearing ourselves before the not ‘bothered’ international community.
That is good development. There is no rich person, organisation or country that does not borrow so long you are doing it for all the right reasons. Zambia cannot develop from its internal meager revenue. Good job
When we remove subsidies to reduce on debt you again complain. Arm chair critics!!
Why is the EU undertaking repair works from Luangwa Bridge to Mwami Border Post when RDA recently awarded a contract to company to work on the Nyimba to Sinda stretch on the GER?
@Jay Jay. The EU was engaged on this contract during the MMD reign. It takes months for such contracts to be approved and finally it has been awarded. The Nyimba Sinda contract will have to be disengaged or cancelled. It will be a plus on RDA to reallocate the resources to another road contract.
1.1 Rohilalha the EU will not administer these funds directly. It has two mechanisms through which it funds programmes in Zambia. One is through budget support and the other is through thematic programmes which are subject to call for proposals. In this case the contract signed is through budget support in which the PG government will be the controlling agent with little oversight by the EU. The means by which the EU and other similar donors control the government is to ensure that it meets certain conditionalities of which human rights is on.
Financial Jungles, they can be thick and difficult to pass your way. There can be predatory in there! Utilize funds efficiently to make profit (tangible and/or intangible). The loan shark is patiently waiting for its prey. The prey can survive with huge debt burden, making difficult to navigate in the thick financial forest due to the debt burden on the back. Tread well, we welcome investment to improve living standards of our 13 million Zedians plus scavenger alliens. Great input for national development, welcome Euro loans.
Now we can do with two more by elections!!! viva EU remember we will waiver visas for all your citizens wishing to enter Zambia from now on wards.
I hope this is not a loan.We are tired of borrowing . Let us avoid the debt trap and work hard as a nation to raise and fund our own developmental projects!
As much as all this is good news and welcome, will the powers that be consider lobbying from somewhere for the total upgrade of the chingola-solwezi road seeing that maybe taxes collected from north western province are not adquate to finance this project? I surely don’t understand how a road that links a province with the biggest revenue collection would fail to rehabilitate this important road? Maybe am wrong but link zambia 8000 should hav started from there as opposed to some roads which are not critical as at now to national development, I know all roads are important but chingola -solwezi road is very important yet is the worst road in in zambia.