Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister Vincent Mwale said the delay to complete the construction of the Airport has been caused by delayed funding from EXIM Bank of China and delayed arrival of law materials due to Cyclone Idai which battered Mozambique recently.
Mr Mwale has refuted claims that works have stalled because EXIM Bank has halted funding towards the US$360 million expansion and modernization of the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport for fear that the Zambian government may not be able to pay back the loan.
Government has rescheduled the completion date for the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport from October 2019 to April 2021.
Updating Parliament on the status of works at KKI and Copperbelt Airport in a Ministerial statement, Mr Mwale said reports that EXIM Bank has stopped funding the project are a total fabrication.
He added that the delay to complete the project will not have cost implications on the nation as the value remains the same.
He said out of the total loan amount of US$360 million; US$265 million has so far been paid to the contractor.
Meanwhile Mr. Mwale says the Construction of the Copperbelt International Airports costing about US$397 Million Dollars will be completed by October 2020.
He has explained that a total of US$191 million Dollars has been certified and US$182 million Dollars has been paid to the contractor.
We would be better off if they did stop the funding. Our debt levels are too high.
What a mess!
What projects have these guys finished so far?
They keep starting projects and abandoning them as they near launch dates.
In the meantime, they would have had so many seating allowances, travel allowances etc. etc.
I think the PF just like to play dirty.
Vincent Mwale has learned the PF bandit ropes very well…..he is doing a very good thing copying master Edgar Chagwa Lungu…Uubomba mwibala alya mwibala
Let’s develop this thing! We know he will NEVER be President.
When we were under RUPIAH awe had 3 billion dollars surplus now are 10 billion in debt that means PF has spent 13 billion dollars
Vin is sooo cute
Come april 2020 it will be another delay and another story. This looks like another zambia airways.
Rupiah ushered this mess into this country by his corrupt behaviour hence the current debacle.
April 2021. Do I sense elecion campaign strategy??? Thats an extremely long delay which will cost more than the projected amount.
“…..and delayed arrival of law materials due to Cyclone Idai which battered Mozambique recently….”
What has Mozambique got to do with construction of an airport in Zambia ??
Sontapo! Unprecedented development
These people are taking the Zambian people for f001s. How do you delay a project which is 80% completed to almost a year and a half? Please demand for an audit. Someone is playing games. Have you no shame sure?
KkIA needs a proper road network leading to the terminals
street solar lightings along the road is a must , going there at night seams like going to the bush , its so scary !
Urgent attention of the Minister of Infrastructure is needed immediately
We do not need Roads expansion in Kabulonga and Woodlands for now , we need a Dual carriage to KKIA
The two airports are a sheer waste of money. They shouldn’t have been built. Building these airports sets us back 10 to 15 years in terms of balancing our books as no real benefit will accrue from these to be white elephants