Friday, March 29, 2024

PF government owe the Zambian people an explanation

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I think the Pf government owe the Zambian people an explanation
“President Lungu commissioned the US$1.2 billion construction of the 321km Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway” Daily Mail.

The usual old story “you can’t compare America and Zambia,” will not cut it. You need to give us some facts or this project should not go ahead. Yes , I do understand we need that road, but we can do it much cheaper than that. Unless corruption is involved and you are telling us to look the other way.

President Edgar Lungu commissions the construction works of the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway costing $1.2 Billion in chibombo
President Edgar Lungu commissions the construction works of the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway costing $1.2 Billion in chibombo

By R.Makolonyi
[Facebook Post]

45 COMMENTS

  1. We sincerely look forward to hearing from the people we elected to look after the affairs of the Zambian people to explain why our roads absurdly cost so much.

    • Everything in Zambia is inflated. Look at office space at mandahill compared to eastgate mall in rsa. Also look at a phone in Zambia compared to any nation in sadc region. The writer is either a dull researcher or biased.

    • @ Lindiwe many constituents do not understand that irrespective of the party they are affiliated with they still have every right to write to their area MP to petition or demand from them a clarification or an answer to any raised or raising issue of concern both as individuals and/or as a group. Its not a misplaced notion that while resources are being plundered or misapplied Zambians are generally happy with this state of things settling for lesser than what they deserve of their taxes and action by their chosen representatives!

    • Stop misleading people
      $1.6m is standard for single carriageway, multiply by 2 to dual and you have $3.2m as international standard.

      Also the length is 366km Sir and not your lie here, factored into $1.2bn and you have $1.64m per km as the cost of the dual carriage

    • @FuManchu you are right,people think our leaders are doing us a favour by providing us services instead of realizing that ,that’s what they were elected to do.For instance everytime there is an accident on the roads we hear RTSA talking of speeding. The question is does the road design have a role to play? do police enforce speed regulations,are there speed cameras? People have a right to safety on roads ,its not favor.No need for the president to be cutting ribbons. Just give us safe roads, good quality roads,corruption free.

    • @1.3 the problem with educated Zambians. Anyone who has attended up to grade 12 lèvel of education can provide i formed oponion about anything. Later on if they have a university degree than they know theories and principles of economics, engineering, political science, medicine, husbandry etc. When you talk of the course of the road I hope you are considering the cost of monilisation, deviation roads and their maintenance, cost of engineering works etc. Of course of the givernment is inglating prices take them on. Never ask a suspect to give you evidence and then prosecute them because they will nit give it to you.

    • I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY ROADS IN ZAMBIA COST A LOT OF MONEY PER KILOMETRE TO CONSTRUCT. BUT, I CANNOT JUSTIFY THE COST FROM THE ABOVE COMPARISON. THIS IS BECAUSE THE WRITER DID NOT COMPARE THE COSTS REGIONALLY. THE OTHER REASON IS THAT ZAMBIA DOES NOT MANUFACTURE ANY CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY. THESE MACHINERY HAVE TO BE IMPORTED AND SHIPPED TO ZAMBIA AND THESE SITUATIONS COST A LOT OF MONEY WHICH ALSO MAKES THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS EVEN MORE COSTLY THAN SAY SOUTH AFRICA THAT DESIGNS AND MANUFACTURE CIVIL ENGINEERING AND MINING EQUIPMENT. SO, BWANA NEXT TIME YOU ARE MAKING SUCH COMPARISONS DON’T RUSH TO THE USA. COMPARE REGIONALLY.

    • The little money in Zed now has led these CATS to start plundering the economy just as UNIP did so for 27 years. Before even 2030 Zed will be in deep trouble. If Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe was the forst elected Zedian president, there wouldn’t have been this great poverty and theft by Politicians.

  2. 1.THE QUESTION SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THOSE WHO CONSTRUCT ROADS, WHY DO THSY CHARGE US MORE?
    2. ALSO USE A COUNTRY IN THE SAME SUB-REGION
    3. WHAT ABOUT THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH A PROJECT IN ZAMBIA VS USA.
    4. IN KASEMPA, TOMATO COSTS K5 WHILE IN SOLWEZI THE SAME AMOUNT OF TOMATO COSTS K2, WHY?

    • The answer to the ridiculous high cost of the road project is so simple.
      ECL and his minions have accumulated so much wealth in a short period of time.The wealth comes from the same inflated project costs.The Zambian taxpayer in the end pays for the loan repayment to China.

    • @Chisenga every businessman knows the answer to your question.They want to make profit.And if we are dumb enough to accept ridiculous prices they are very happy,infact they will offer to do all our roads.

    • Labour costs are way too low here than USA. What Risks are u talking about that exist in Zambia which can significantly push the costs higher ?? Don’t bring in elements you have no specificity over. And why should the question go to those contractors? I guess the simple question to you sir is given the amount was there any competitive and open bidding for this project? was it advertised internationally?? Do we know what other companies bid prices were ?? if the Government is well meaning it is their responsibility to understand prices. Besides the equipment and some bitumen most materials are local and worse still this is not a challenging terrain. Don’t support stone age arguments to justify blatant theft

  3. The escalated or high cost for the construction of these roads is because Zambia doesn’t have money but uses the Chinese firms, Avic International and China Jianxi) to not only construct but secure expensive financing from state owned Chinese banks and corporations.

  4. On top of that can they account for the billions collected thus far in road tolls ..this is how we just hear of people building all over Zambia who once had no money…

  5. I can assure you that $1.2billion will not be the final cost of this project due to the following reasons;
    – The design of the road is not fully completed and this will attract variations
    – Poor contract management by RDA
    – Corruption (govt interference)
    -etc

  6. The answer to the ridiculous high cost of the road project is so simple.
    ECL and his minions have accumulated so much wealth in a short period of time.The wealth comes from the same inflated project costs.The Zambian taxpayer in the end pays for the loan repayment to China.

  7. This is what the opposition parties should be picking up on and holding the government accountable instead of endless personal scabbles. The opposition parties are mute on this probably because they want to out do the other in perfecting these new gateways to riches.

    • Lungu has MADE these personal squabbles to divert attention from his STEALING!

      Did he campaign on ISSUES? NO! Just dancing dunna reverse!

      He has no answer to corruption because he is the biggest crook. His solution is to say “look there” and hope Zambians will not see while he loots the economy and leaves us in poverty!

  8. This is a very good move by central grz. please extend the pave our roads project to markets as well, PAVE OUR MARKETs as well, especially in Livingstone…markets are tourist attractions aswell.1. Paving markets will raise standard of infrastructure, 2. Reduce diesease outbreaks 3. Create jobs 4. Increase market revenue

  9. I have always stated this ..to add salt to the injury the roads in Zambia do not even have proper drainage yet they cost that amount. If there was genuine leadership that cared about expenditure and was not corrupt cost of materials would have been reduced, value engineering incorporated at every stage of construction process.
    It really pains me …as its our children who will have to pay for all this recklessness. with interest to the Chines. $1.2 Billion for a road…what a joke!!

  10. This writer R. Makolonyi must be, nay, ****. He provides two pieces of information and expects us to make a conclusion to agree with him? And isn’t he the one who is supposed to challenge the government and contractors with facts, so he does not have any information, just that ka table of two lines to analyse such a complex project? Indeed he has to be ****. Anyway just to help him think of more facts, has he considered the
    1. The cost of money in Zambia (15% or more compared to USA (3%)?
    2. Tax in Zambia (total 20% or more) compare to USA (5% maybe?)
    3. Cost of machinery either hire or purchasing, in USA and Zambia?
    4. Business risks?
    Etc etc etc.
    Give us all facts , *********

  11. Give us all facts you ****, not hiding some because they dont favour your case of **** and underfives? Even Greens were more sensible in their analysis though faulty too.
    Yaba, bu **** nabo, awe mwandini ba Patricia Scotland seni mubasende aba bantu, limbi kufyalo kuti balondoka. Kuno ku Zambia ba fwilwa, just noise makers.

  12. Just look at the writer “R.Makolonyi”.can anything NEUTRAL come from such a pro HH’s person?NEVER!!
    please “R.Makolonyi” ask your leader HH to explain to you.Indeed this id not America but Zambia.the Lusaka – Ndola Dual carriageway will be done in 4 yrs.nobody expects prices for goods needed to complete this road to remain the same for 4 yrs.
    UPND and its supporters can please many voters if for once they can support Govnt’s huge projects which are meant to prove our lives!!THEY SAY “CHEAP IS EXPENSIVE!!”so if we have to get a quality road,good monies should be pumped in.PF GOVNT HAVE DONE A NICE ROAD BETWEEN MANSA AND LUWINGU.IF THIS ONE WILL BE DONE THAT WAY,THEN WE’RE OK WITH $1.2BN TO BE PUMPED INTO LSK-NDOLA ROAD!! Upnd simply knows that once such a huge project is…

  13. AND SOME OF THE RISKS THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR ARE CAUSED BY THE DESTRUCTIVE ATTACKS OR ARSON CAUSED BY upnDONKEYS TORCHING GOVERNMENT INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS CAN CAUSE CONTRACTORS TO INFLATE FIGURES. AND WHAT WITH THE BAD PUBLICITY BY HH GLOBE TROTTING TO BAD-MOUTH ZAMBIAS REPUTATION ABROAD. CONTRACTORS NEED TO SAFEGUARD THEIR STRUCTURES. SO BA MAKOLONYI, DONT USE SIMPLE ANALYSIS. IT IS SUCH SIMPLISTIC REASONING THAT CAUSES UPNdonkeys TO ASSUME THAT THEREFORE THEY WILL WIN THE ELECTIONS.

  14. We all know they are stealing the money, they have suddenly become very wealthy.
    FTJ and he’s minions looted, but where are they all?

  15. Mushota!!!! I can’t believe for ONCE you are agreeing with all reasonable people in making PF account for its dubious deeds!. But ladies and gentlemen, to be fair, the costing in Zambia should not be compared with that of America. In Zambia, we will have to import almost anything that will be used to construct the road whilst in America almost everything is locally sourced. Transport costs of everything from our nearest sea ports of either Durban, Dar-es -laam or Namibia is collossal!if its the chinese , they will even import people to come and push wheelbarrows in our country. So everything will cost 10 times more than anywhere else on this planet. To add salt to injury, corruption is also heavily involved.

  16. This data is misleading. The cost indicated is the labor cost only. What about insurance, machinery,and raw materials? What kind of road in Missouri is being referred to, is it a night way or a township street?

  17. Interesting. Zambian geniuses at it again. I wonder why we are still a third world developing nations which such geniuses. Or are we just armchair critics who wants to propound on anything? I am yet to hear a solution here serve for one or two road and civil engineers here.

  18. @Nseluka you are very correct with your analysis. To add to your correctness, there is two satellite towns to be constructed. One between Lusaka and Kabwe and the other between Kapiri and Ndola. Including hotels and gas (filling stations) stations. It’s ironical that people will just write things and wild statements on issues they don’t understand. Wouldn’t it be prudent to do a little research before one could start to write nonsense. The power of wisdom is in listening than talking. The writer should get a life and do a bit of reading.

  19. Yes indeed we deserve an explanation. It is our children who will be paying back this debt. People who are saying this project can actually cost half of the mentioned amount are not saying it from without. They must have compared the cost of similar projects in other countries. Are they telling us that the other half of the alleged cost of the project will be ‘shared?’. It sucks to even think about it

  20. A 4×4 double cab cost US$25,000 in USA while the same cost over US$51,000.
    Bitumen is a waste product in USA while in Zambia its a premier import.
    What apology my guy?

  21. For the government to come up with that amount it should be the lowest of all tenderers and best construction who can do a better job, only those who knows how it is done when selecting knows better all of you who are disputing the amount knows nothing. And for you who are busy misleading us while you are there abroad don’t you know that Zambia cannot manufacture any machinery not even a needle so keep in mind that almost everything (machinery, materials etc. including labour eg. Engineers) will be imported all I forgot even cheap labour as our Zambians are so lazy compared to Chinese.

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