Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA Berlin Msiska (second right) and
Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe look on during official
opening) offices in Choma
GOVERNMENT has directed the provincial buildings department in Southern Province to strictly monitor the on-going construction of a K31 million six-storey provincial headquarters in Choma scheduled for completion in December this year.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda was concerned that the longer contractors take to complete various developmental projects being undertaken countrywide, the more expensive it could be to pay them.
Mr Chikwanda made the remarks in Choma on Tuesday when he inspected the project which was being carried out by China Jiangxi Corporation limited (CJCL) which was on the foundation level.
CJCL and three other contractors engaged to build over 60 high, medium and low-cost houses adjacent to the provincial administration, recently attributed the slow progress to inadequate building materials in Choma.
Mr Chikwanda who was accompanied by Provincial Minister Daniel Munkombwe inspected the works and expressed concern at the rate at which the contractors were carrying out the projects.
“For us as Government, there must be no excuse because funding is being made and now our concern is that when projects like this take too long to be completed, it becomes expensive to pay contractors because of several factors like fluctuation of inflation,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda directed the provincial buildings department to closely monitor the construction projects and ensure that desirable progress was being made in accordance with the stipulated timeframe.
He said that Government was looking forward to the completion of the projects and would not tolerate the slow pace at which the contractors were carrying out works despite being paid.
“All projects being carried out have a timeframe in which to be completed, the delays impinge on costs, so, you (provincial buildings department) need to find out where challenges are to progress,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda and Mr Munkombwe also inspected the construction of the housing units in which some had reached window levels while others were still on slab levels.
Acting provincial building department officer Henry Musonda said he would convene an urgent meeting today in the afternoon with the contractors to find out why there was no much progress on the projects.
speed kills.
Tongas are all generally slow when it comes to action and implimentations. ask their women, they will all tell you just that.
Ba Chikwanda so you’re still in government chewing tax payers’ money. So Ba Sata managed to convence you not to resign ayiiinii bamudala. tuleloleshyafye bane. you guyz have destroyed Zambia
Illede cultural association headed by one bon well chunsu wants to use it as a campaign gimmick n lie that the government was slow in implementing projects.
Really? And what will be the response of the Potato Front (PF) government?
Ba Chikwanda can you deny or confirm that you resigned and now you have been held hostage. No amount of Bismack’s type of appeasement policies will change people’s minds. After two years, they have made up their minds and can wait for 2016.
@Silent Spectator,
Your challenge on Chikwanda to break his silence on the on-going bemba controversy is on the minds of majority of people. Chikwanda’s name has come out prominently in recent days yet he remains mute instead of clearing the air.
He cannot have it both ways like a stooge.
How about comparing with the muchinga province projects.Was in Choma last month,no roads and amenities,nothing to talk about.The town centre looks like chibolya market.The only place to buy commodities is at spar and you can just imagine what happened on 24/12/13 when every jim amd jack was in festive mood.
Henry Musonda !! I wonder what a bemba man is doing in Choma no wonder he does not push these china men, he says he will converen a meeting after the Minister spoke about it iye uluse HH chase this bemba man away, put a Tonga provincial buildings engineer and you will see how the china men will speed up the works
Tongas are the hardest working people in Zambia. Have you ever found a tonga sitting and begging in the streets of Lusaka? We Tongas retire to the village and live off the land …..substance farming my brother….toba chende..tonga bull…!
yes so many Tongas are begging in Lusaka but we end up giving them mabisis
Live ‘off’ the land? what do you do, you float or swim? Ulasobana mulumbwana!
“CJCL and three other contractors engaged to build over 60 high, medium and low-cost houses adjacent to the provincial administration, recently attributed the slow progress to inadequate building materials in Choma.”
Didn’t they know that before they took the contract? They should refund their money or go to jail.
We thank the pf government with what they are currently doing in choma. As local residents we have seen massive projects undertaken by the government and one of them being the upgrading of macha road which is yet to started and the same project will creat emproyment to the local youths of choma. As a local resident of choma i would like to urge my fellow youths within choma not to interfear with the government projects but instead we should work hand in hand with the pf regime so as to enhence development in our lovely district.