Friday, March 29, 2024

Government engages two Chinese Firms to look at Zambia Railways

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Special Assistant to th President for Press Amos Chanda (2nl) Minister of Transport and communication Brain Mushimba (r) Public Relations Officer Ministry of Transport and Communication Brain Malama (2nr) and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transport and Communication Misheck Lungu chat shortly after the presentation of the quarterly report 2016 at State House
Special Assistant to th President for Press Amos Chanda (2nl) Minister of Transport and communication Brain Mushimba (r) Public Relations Officer Ministry of Transport and Communication Brain Malama (2nr) and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transport and Communication Misheck Lungu chat shortly after the presentation of the quarterly report 2016 at State House
GOVERNMENT has engaged two Chinese railway companies to undertake a re-capitalisation study for Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) to enhance its operations.
Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba said plans to re-capitalise ZRL were underway aimed at enhancing its capacity in order to meet the demand of players in the transport sector.

“Currently, we are just concluding the re-capitalisation studies that have been undertaken by two Chinese companies, one from Livingstone to Kafue and another from Kafue to Chililabombwe,” Mr Mushimba said.

The minister was reacting to concerns raised by the parliamentary committee on Transport and Communications who wanted Government to help recapitalise ZRL in order to boost its operations.

The committee indicated that despite Government having injected over US$120 million from the Eurobond, ZRL was still faced with a lot of challenges in its operations.

However, Mr Mushimba said in an interview that Government was also having discussions with another European railway company on plans to revamp the two railway companies namely Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and ZRL.

“We are working and soon we shall share the details of which way we shall proceed as we conclude our studies and works in the background.

“As Government and as the ministry overseeing the operations of ZRL, we are very mindful on the need to recapitalise. The Zambian Government wants to modernise the two railway companies over the next five or so years,” he said.

Mr Mushimba said Government was committed to the development of a vibrant railway system that would contribute significantly to the growth of the transport sector.

16 COMMENTS

    • Pay no mind to Nubian princess with a worm and insect infested swamp between her legs that makes her itch for HH day in and day out

  1. Why did we spend so much money on roads for transport and now we are saying it should be railways.
    Policy on the run

    • And where did the Eurobond money go to now that we have seen it fit to recapitalise? Why werent the Chinese brought in when we got the Eurobonds?

  2. Source of concern dear Zambia. We have basket Chinese too too much.Our risks are far above 100 now to allow this shortsightedness decisions. Any collapse in relationships etc with china or Chinese we also fall with them, is this the path we need to go.To hell with such thinkings.

  3. Brian mushimba is an engineer and several more other qualified individuals, but I keep wondering why even simple things as feasibility studies should be outsourced. Why not consult EIZ instead of every time the Chinese, this is raising much suspicion than delight from the minister’s and was there a tender for these same studies bwana minister, How did you end up with those chines and European firms.

    • Getting a feasibility study done in Zambia is a process. They are happy to do proposals but feasibility studies can take months or even a year! This industry requires private capital.

  4. That 120 million should have been used to build a second railway line from Livingstone to CB. You can’t have one line with sections where a train has to wait hours even days for the other to clear running in the opposite direction….

    • Chinese are cheaper than Western consultants and if you do your research you will find that if the UK is using the same Chinese in preference to their own local consultants. As evidenced to the resent Uk China rail freight

  5. Mya would you invest your money into a government entity in zambia. Why not sell sharss in zambian railwzys to the public then we actually own it. Directors answerable to shareholders.

  6. We complain about whites ownng our assets so why not offer shareholding to everyday zambians then we are masters of our own destiny. Thats what everybody wants,
    Ask uncle bob mugabe how succesful a country becomes when you chase the ma zungu.
    Funny uncle bob isnt poor but majority of his subjects are..

  7. Info just reread the article, how did you research when the companies names arent mentioned
    You must have inside information or misinformation

  8. Why is it taking so long?
    Let us get down to WORK and have results. Our people need us to ACT NOW.
    These Rail Systems are the backbone to the our Country’s Economic Growth.
    BLIND HYENAS!!! Chimbwi no plan and then also blind . . . that is us.

  9. That would be good for these two rail lines in Zambia if the Chinese are allowed. Look at how they have transformed rail transport in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria just to mention a few countries. They are cheap and have one of the best rail technology in the world today.

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