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Government gets $280 million loan from China bank to finance for communication towers

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Transport Minister Brian Mushimba
Transport Minister Brian Mushimba
Government has acquired $280 million from the Exim Bank of China to finance the construction of 1 009 communication towers across the country. Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba has said that the funds will see government put up towers in areas which did not benefit from the previous project.

Mr. Mushimba said that that the new set of towers will have a greater radius than the previous ones which were erected under phase one. He was speaking in an interview with ZNBC News in Kabwe.

Early this year, Government promised roll out phase two of the communication towers project in rural areas countrywide at a cost of US$280 million this year, with the the aim of closing the digital gap that exists between urban and rural areas.

The project will provide internet and mobile phone services to people off the line of rail. Minister of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba said in an interview that Government is expected to install 1,009 towers.

“This is a three-year project and once completed, we are expected to achieve 92 percent network coverage countrywide,” Mr Mushimba said.

He said this is in line with Governments objective to achieve universal access to information using information and communications technology (ICT).

19 COMMENTS

  1. This culture of borrowing is annoying me.

    Why not get some of the riches HH has which is claimed to be proceeds of crime and use for development?

    • We could extend this to getting Lungu and his minister’s stolen monies to put back in the government purse to finance projects. Why do these donors even give us monies when there is a lot of it about?

    • Let us take Lungu alcohol budget and his wife fake hair budget and pay for this project. Why all the borrowing Zambia?

    • While we are at it, let’s get a loan to fix toilets in Kanyama, never mind the fact that ZRA and the toll gates are collecting three times more revenue that calculated.

    • Quite clearly there is something very wrong with this pattern of borrowing.Most likely the money is just being used to bail out government expenditure on consumption like salaries.

    • All the uneducated cadres need to be paid and Mumbi Phiri need plastic surgery to fix her face. Lungu needs to finance his buildings and retirement. Why all this money?

    • Hehehe keep lying to yourself …. chinese will never give a loan with -ve interest. I truly hope this was expressed in sarcasm

  2. Zambia Plus is Positive as Minister Mutati Tightens but its only future sustainable if Growth results and exports arise to grow the economy You may recover debts old but you will need to grow the current to ensure after the support is with drawn and inflows stop you will still have weathered and not to fall

    Consider also increasing the VAT for the 90% informal to increase and bring them on board as you finnish the debt on the formal

    Borrowing for Developmental projects is okay but only if those projects inflows now results in cash flows then otherwise the future may not be bright with massive loans

    Sometimes you look for Angel investors to finance…

  3. Sometimes you look for Angel investors to finance those positive prospects with carefully assessed developers,offtakers and proper Development Finance Institutions

    Thaking also that you can ubunble a ultility away from current PPAs driven Oftaker Financing is also being shorterm and lack of understanding of the Market structure in the electricity industry listening to minister speak yesterday in parliament You are trying to offtake and simulate spot markets that thee current bundled system is supporting to establish too early even in developed energy and telecom’s markets markets have been modelled welll to ensure repayments from those development funds still are…

  4. rather

    Thinking also that you can ubunble a ultility away from current PPAs driven Oftaker Financing is also being shorterm and lack of understanding of the Market structure in the electricity industry listening to minister speak yesterday in parliament You are trying to offtake and simulate spot markets that thee current bundled system is supporting to establish too early even in developed energy and telecom’s markets markets have been modelled welll to ensure repayments from those development funds still are made and the off-take agreements

    Reflect a little bit and model the development and only issue a speech after carefully reviewing

  5. Here is another EXIM Bank loan from China to fit more substandard towers by a Chine company….its the docile people who will have to pay!!

  6. Amama Neo! 280 million Dollars! After selling DeadNBC to them! Now all our mass communication is falling under the Chinese

  7. Chinese own znbc now effectively own towers which means communjcation. Has any security risk assessment been undertaken.

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