The government has given a green light for the National Sugar Corporation ( NSC), a local firm scheduled to set up sixteen modern cities and industries across the country.
Disclosing this in an interview with the media yesterday, Corporation Executive Director Edgar Ngoma said Secretary to Cabinet Simon Miti recently gave his firm a go-ahead to commence the multi-million project.
“Yes I can confirm that the government has given a go-ahead for my company, National Sugar Corporation to set up its various cities and industries across the country.
“Secretary to Cabinet and various Security Wing have separately cross-checked and verified all the needed documents and have thus given a go ahead for the project and told us to actualize the project with the involvement of the Zambia Development Agency ( ZDA) and the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, ‘’ said Dr Ngoma.
The NSC Executive Director further disclosed that his firm now awaits the accent of Attorney General Likonde Kalaluka who by broadcast time was still checking and studying the validity of the documents for the said project.
By press time, the Attorney General Kalaluka, could not be reached on his mobile phone for comment.
When the Sugar project takes off, it is expected to cushion the nation’s unemployment challenges especially the youths but also contribute to the nation’s dwindling treasury.
In what seems to be his New Year message of hope to ordinary Zambians, Dr Ng’oma said 2021 was a turnaround year for the country.
“The project is a game changer for the nation. All the unemployed youths, Service men, civil servants and ordinary Zambians across the country would eat from the same cake, equally. We are going to empower Zambians with land, jobs and investment opportunities, among others,” he said.
Currently, his Corporation is in a process of getting more partners who he said will come up with innovations that will help actualize the project in areas like water reticulation, infrastructure development and industrial clusters to be set within peripheries of the project.
The project has 16 sites located throughout the country covering areas such as agri-business which will process all farm produce for local consumption and export.
The NSC proprietor disclosed in the same interview that already his company has received a written order of 150, 000 tonnes for Africa, 250, 000 tonnes for the rest of the world while 100,000 tonnes of orders have been confirmed for the local market.
“As you may know most neighbouring countries such as Angola, Mozambique and Namibia are still need more food after going through their liberation struggles. Hence these countries depend on Zambia for food supply.
“This is why we have arranged with the neighbouring countries to supply them with Agro-produce exports such as cereals like rice and wheat and a lot more that they would require,” said the NSC Executive Director.
He also said because of the COVID-19 pandemic, his corporation is engaging prospective investors through virtual video conferencing, to finalize the commencement of the project.
“We are however trying to arrange for a conference soon so that investors can come,” said the NSC Executive Director.
Explaining the nature of the project, Dr Ngoma elaborately said the project comprises three components where in some provinces there will be more than two of the three namely real estates, agriculture and industry, tourism and sports/ entertainment.
According to Dr. Ngoma, each prospective in conjunction with his Corporation take up two or more of the above stated components depending on their capacity as each project will be worth K 2.5 billion,minimum.
Information in here seems sugar coated …
What a lie! When we cant even look after our current cities. Baletushinga butter.
Pie in the sky. Nobody has actually committed any money yet. Come one two three years from now – NOTHING will have happened!
?nomba these ones we have with potholed roads and flooding pa Xmas what should we do with them?
Fairy tales coated with bitter sugar.Why not fix and straighten the current cities + change the rotten culture that has made Zambian cities “urban pighouses” ??
Edger Ngoma?? Nabakwata capacity. Only a few months ago he was crying that he has been sidelined by the present goverment
Progress,
Viva PF.
OH, did KK not have a similar plan before the multi-party election to grow maize all the way from Lusaka to Kabwe??
If its genuine then its a one of the economic growth factors
Interesting but does not sound really feasible. Although I don’t have all the details, why build 16 cities? If they are meant to be based around agro-production and processing, why not 3-4 major cities or better still anchor existing hubs already? Cities grow naturally and organically and not just planted without integration into existing eco-systems. I am very skeptical!
Day dreaming!
You think you can just wake up and decide to build 16 cities out of nowhere?
There thousands of factors to take into account.
And you think you can just secure deals with neighboring countries to supply agricultural products? Please!
This is nothing cheap political propaganda.
Ukutemwa ukutamba Hollywood. Wakanda waleta akantu
another useless idea by another useless PF cadre. Please August 2021 come soon we kickout these thieves!!!
Dream on. It’s so much better than living in the real world.
Not realistic ,not feasible ,it will remain just unrealized pipe dream cities.
Who’s behind this? Edgar Ng’oma? My foot, the doctor of nothing. And u hv seen wht he’s saying? All the unemployed youths will get jobs in his modern cities with new industries to be developed around the country. Who on earth can be so dumb as to believe this?
Sugar plantations across the country…this started a long time ago just like the failed shangombo sugar project lol all the best mr Ngoma and EU people
Is Edgar Ngoma ok? This question is directed to the reporter
Where is the money coming from? And what are the incentives for initiators of the project(s)?
I like the confidence of Mr ngoma that the Secretary to the Cabinet gave his firm go ahead. Its seems He has no idea of how our system operates. Kuti bakuchinjisha amano, you even collapse, just make sure all relevant sections of governance system are involved. However it is a good idea.
Congratulations Dr Ngoma looking forward
Very Fun, Mr Bean, do u think its a very easy task to build 16 cities in one country, why not shifting the capital city lusaka and build a modern one, that would have sound normal than ukutubepa ubufi. Look at Nigeria how much it cost to build Abuja as a city ( Capital) check with Tanzania how they are struggling to build Dodoma as city. ( moving the Capital from Dar Es Salaam to Dodoma) So ba Ngoma how much do u have to build a city? so funny! Do know what a city means? What I think these guys are trying to trick the govt so that they can acquire sixteen plots of thousands hectares and own half a country. Please govt wake, Zambians are we still sleeping?
It’s Ngoma again no comments reserved
IT IS THE ‘ANIMAL MAN’ WHICH NGOMA BROUGHT TO LIGHT THRO VARIOUS ARTICLES IN HIS DEFUNCT TABLOID CALLED ‘ANGEL’ WHICH LED A CONGOLESE UNIVERSITY TO BESTOWING THE TITLE OF “DOCTOR” UPON HIM. IT APPEARS THAT EDGAR IS BEING ANIMATED BY HIS OWN ANIMAL IN ALL THIS. BASOPO!!!
If at all this project will see light at the end of the tunnel will bring HEAVEN on earth to mother Zambia. How will sugar production add value to the Zambian economy coz at the moment the biggest market is EU and it gives quotes to each exporting continent. In short the EU market is protective. lets open our eyes wide open. Not long time ago we had some fake company boasting to set up a multi Billion mega sugar project in Shangombo to date nothing has taken off. Which serious investor can come and invest billions with its broken economy may be a mining investor as they know how to externalize their money. At the moment we need investors in SMEs not mega projects which take long to mature. Dr. Ngoma I like your dreams but please give us a break, serious investors, you just see a project…
They already have orders from their industries that haven’t yet been specified. How is that possible? Perhaps this is just another smokescreen for giving this N’goma exclusive rights to export our agricultural products at the expense of other Zambians.
…. sounds good. There is need for an industrial town between Ndola and Kapiri Mposhi. Central province is blessed with agriculture produce and require a central place for trading and processing. Therefore a new town is most ideal. Kapiri Mposhi Big Urban Village town is a big mess not worth any “reconstruction”.
Dream on
and thats how poor villagers get displaced from their ancestral lands, and the perceived investor gets huge tracts of land which they later on demarcate into smaller plots and start reselling to zambians at a huge profit.CHIEFS BEWARE OF SUCH INVESTORS.
This guy doesn’t know that anything that named “Edgar” at the moment is highly suspicious ?
Where have they done it before? Give us a break?
Reminds me of one, Hellings Chabi.
Thank you but we still voting Hakainde Hichilema and UPND.We won’t be Dununa Reversed for a second time,2021 It’s Time for Change.
Building castles in the Air?
Not as easy as said.
We are good at boasting.
Too good to be true
?
?
What is Edgar Smoking. Even you ba Lusaka Times, how do you give space to such stories.
Still dreaming???
Wow! My return to Zambia depends on the completion of such well planned cities. This will be a dream come true. We must on he onset discourage shanties around those beautiful castles in the air.
Been dying for that. If you can think about it, then you can build it!
Look at how angry the upnd diasporans supporters are. Zambians don’t think these traitors want you to vote upnd for a positive reason. Remember they are only happy when their adopted country are doing better than Zambia because that makes them feel more superior than us even when they are cleaning toilets there.
This will be lovely ?
Too vague please go and tell dull PF cadres…he is talking about building cities then in the same breath alluding to looking for partners and agriculture. And his company name is National Sugar Company…really laughable…anyway foooool me once shame on you, foooool twice shame on me…remember we were promised a $260 million Flyover spaghetti style bridge but what was built was a $100k useless hump.
This is what happens when you appoint cadres like Simon Miti as Secretary to the Cabinet he entertains such folly from fellow PF cadres, Attorney General Kalaluka he is smart not to answer his phone.
This is what happens when you appoint cadres like Simon Miti as Secretary to the Cabinet he entertains such folly from fellow silly PF cadres, Attorney General Kalaluka he is smart not to answer his phone.
We are still waiting for lungus 1 million jobs pa
Parole parole… Shame on corrupt administration who stole Zambia’s resources and sold its residency and assets to foreigners!
It seems like this multi-million project along with ERP will be creating huge development packages for other countries and Zambians!!! Our economy will be boosted with double power and the financial crisis will be a thing of the past.
Glad to know that the project will be benefiting our youths. Their future is secured!
Through the government’s development initiatives and now this local firm’s projects will be providing a huge employment platform for Zambians, especially youths which we haven’t seen before President Lungu’s era.
The opposition UPND is busy targeting and criticizing our government and blamed them for the murder of Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda. And, here our government is busy implementing development projects for Zambians.
How much is Simon Miti getting from this? That is what I want to know. Does one need to go to government to do this? All you do is buy the land and start. There is Kingsland, Nkwashi, Foxdale etc. We never heard of such announcements.
fairly tale
Only dull people will be saying that Mr. Lungu lacks the capabilities to be the leader of this country. And, majority of Zambians will be voting for him again in the 2021 elections.
THE SAINT – that’s how they start these conmen ..he will get tracts of land which in turn he will go around to resell to Chinks who will build anything on ie shopping mall…even resell to Zambians as small plots without any roads or water or sewage like Meanwood.
Anyway this is for small minds like Lunhu or cadres who have never seen a business proposal…its not even worth going to press over.
The Lungu’s economic recovery programme and now this multi-million projects. I am telling you guys within 2-3 years we will not recognize that we are living in Zambia and not any foreign country. Zambia is going to transform completely.
It’s called Pie in the sky
I wonder, why some fools hate the PF government for no reason. I think they must have a habit of criticizing the government because no other president besides Lungu had brought true development in the country, so some people are still not convinced that Zambians can really witness true development and not fake promises.
A clear case of wishy-washy statement.
Concept appears fine but terribly sugar coated as someone observed above. Bwana Ngoma needs serious help from appropriate experts in his project. Not seen ie Off-Takers mentioned in this project,
More input is required before the Attorney General gives it a nod. It is not political but an idea that requires support if well presented and supported with tangible facts in its implementation.
Tarino posting over 5 comments in a row does not make your comments any less f00lish than they are. Stop spamming this site you attention seeking preek. Get a life
Foolish report.
African countries that seem to be doing ok can only manage one smart cities, broke Zambiais going to build 16 of them cities. That is
Who remembers Heaven on Earth bullcrap durin KK’s time from…..was it Maharish? Same thing here…Alice in Wonderland or Sophia the first!
Day dreaming
Election time , expect fantasies.