THE Government has released a total of K190 million to pay road contractors of which K65 million will go towards the construction of the Chingola-Solwezi road.
Works and Supply Minister Ronald Chitotela said Government last week released about K190 million for road works saying that K65 million would go towards the construction of Chingola-Solwezi road.
Mr Chitotela said the Government was committed to improving the road infrastructure of various roads in North-western province in order to provide more secure transport of goods and passengers for all the roads users.
The rehabilitation works for the Chingola-Solwezi road were been undertaken by China Geo Engineering Corporation Southern African Limited and Buildcon Investment Limited.
The minister said the construction of the 168Kilometer (Km) road had been delayed because of financial challenges.
He said recent release of resources from the Ministry of Finance signifies Government commitment to the development of the road infrastructure in the country particularly the Chingola-Solwezi road.
Mr Chitotela said this when he inspected the road works on the Chingola-Solwezi road with Finance Minister Felix Mutati, National Development Planning Minister Lucky Muluusa and their Commerce, Trade and Industry counterpart Margaret Mwanakatwe.
“This is the reason why I have come here with the Minister of Finance and Commerce (Solwezi) to inspect the road works so that when I begin to knock on their doors for funding I won’t have difficulties. We have heard the cries of the people of North western province on this road and we cannot give it a blind eye,” he said.
“I want to assure the people of Zambia and North western that the Chingola-Solwezi road was an economic road we will ensure that we give it priority and I am grateful to the minister of finance just last week he released payment to the three contractors on this road,” Mr Chitotela said.
He said the Government had an outstanding arrear with China Geo Engineering Corporation amounting to K125 million.
Mr Chitotela said the Government had paid about K40 million towards the construction of lot one and three saying for lot two only K10 million had paid out of K17 million.
“By the first week of November we are making another payment and the challenge is the period the rain is about to start and the massage to the contractor let us pay particular attention to the dangerous points that might make these roads unpassable ,” he said.
Mr Chitotela said it was important for the mining companies to work in coordination with the road contractor for the development of North western province.
For Miyenga-Mwinilunga road the Government had signed a construct for financing of the road network.
Commenting on the road network, Ms Mwanakatwe said it was important that the road works were completed to facilitate for trade.
“Anything that is going to impair the movement of goods in and out of this zone which is a huge economic zone is going to give me a headache and this is why I am here to ensure there is a smooth transfer of goods and services between now and the rain season so that we don’t disrupt business,” Ms Mwanakatwe said
PF in their usual style. There is nothing that has been released, learn to say the truth for once you PF guys. Why release the monies now when you know very well that rains are around the corner? where were you all this while? Where have you gotten the monies now which you failed to give the contractors all this while? why wait for the rain season to release the monies when you know very well that road works are never done during this season we are entering? PF you’re cursed with a curse because you’ve robbed our nation big time. Three months ago on ZNBC you said funds for the construction of the Solwezi – Chingola road have been released and again today you’re saying the same story whilst the road continues to go from bad to worse each day that passes by.
Nevermind them..the monies they have released is only going to cover delays who do you think is going to pay for contractor’s hired machinery and labour that have been sitting idle for 3 months…this why the Chinese contractor with their foreign banks backing them are able to out muscle local contractors because of these delays in payments.
Dont be surprised to see these empty tins from govt in a few weeks touring and inspecting the selfsame road projects…and complaining on camera that the contractor is delaying knowing full too well that they delayed in releasing funds and released when we are weeks away from rainy season.
Folks is this the same road first quantum say they are rehabilitating ? Now keep your ears and eyes on the name of this road you will soon hear PF borrowing millions of dollars in the name of the same road……a trick they used with lusaka swege and water were we told the hundreds of millions of dollars were borrowed for the same projects only for the US goverment and world Bank to say they are funding the project.
@3 Spaka..Agreed,we have heard too many stories about the water issue in Lusaka;a lone from the African Development Bank(AfDB), several loans from China and then we know that the Americans, through Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and partly the World Bank are funding the same water,sanitation and drainage project- and yet there has been no improvement to the water and sanitation situation in Lusaka. Come rain season we shall see cholera and already some areas are not receiving regular supply of water!! These chaps!!
Comment:u pipo don’t be cheated that the government has released fund for chingola solwezi road its the mines that has come up the solution to work on that road coz once it starts raining their business will be shutdown due to bad status of the road BA PF are u still cheating pipo
Comment: We are not living in a vacuum country where by things are able to be done as per expected, Mr president kindly learn to say the truth that will help your leadership to be blessed..
Comment:hey this is not a family matter try to be serious and push the contractors towards work monitor them as they work do not let them make counterfeit road for people’s benefits ,u leaders u have to be ashy like kambwili
Comment:These pf locusts are stupid. They are talking about the road now when rains are around the corner. Stupid fools. That’s what they said last year. Has anything changed? Wanza wen u.
Pf lies at breakfast, lunch and supper. You can imagine this pf was so fast to do construct a road in a foreign country (pedicle) and leave out the chingola/solwezi road of such economic importance to zambia. Now they are pretending to be concerned. The question i ask is, if those mines were in mpika, chinsali or kasama, would they have let the road remain unattended to? Which road would any sensible person attend to first, matumbo road or solwezi/chingola?
If iwas mulusa iwould be asahed how many times hV u beAn talking about this road mr mulusa shame on u true. When u a eating u don’t talk as th poat said. 7years u hv bean talking even wantinG to protest by walking to chingola by th way sir how faar ar ngabwe distrix offices u went to cry over
Comment:
how many times is this road going to be funded