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President Lungu upset by the level of bureaucracy in releasing funds for road projects

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President Edgar Lungu has expressed worry at the levels of bureaucracy involved before releasing funds for some road projects by some ministries.

The concerns were brought to the fore when President Lungu inspected roads in Chililabombwe’s Kamenza Township where he wondered why some officers were still holding on to the money despite the release of funds being authorised.

The Head of State said it was difficult to explain certain levels of lack of development in some parts of the country because someone is delaying the release of funds.

He added that he will physically be pointing at those who are not doing the right thing to ensure that works on some road projects are expedited or kick-started.

“You can’t explain certain lack of development. You need to ensure that the roads are worked on,” he said.

The President, who cited the delays of works on the road leading to senior chief Chiwala through Zambezi Portland wondered why only appending a simple signature on paper to allow the private sector commence the works could take a very long time.

And Minister of Infrastructure Development, Vincent Mwale told the Head of State that K30 million has been released to commence works on the roads totaling 20 kilometres in Chililabombwe district.

Mr. Mwale said the 20 kilometres in Chililabombwe is part of the 80 kilometre road project to be undertaken in Ndola, Chililabombwe, Luanshya and Kalulushi under the Copperbelt 400 road project.

He said the Chilanga-Chiwala road has been partially done under the Poly-Technology road project adding that the remaining part will be attended to.

“Now that we have received some money, we are ready to start the project. The project is about 80 kilometres, 20 kilometres will start here in Chililabombwe,” Mr. Mwale said.

And Chililabombwe Member of Parliament, Richard Musukwa told the President that the area has already been mapped.

“We have mapped the areas and we think with the latest technology, we should be able to do it in this rain season,” Mr. Musukwa said.

Earlier, Copperbelt Province Patriotic Front (PF) chairman, Nathan Chanda expressed disappointment at the way some road projects have been handled in the province.

Mr. Chanda said the kind of bureaucracy exhibited shows no respect to the Head of State and has since called on the ministers responsible to do the right thing and ensure the pending road projects in the province start.

104 COMMENTS

    • Ba Lungu some of the things you say can only be spoken by a Grade 1 pupil learning 1+1=2. You are the one who appoints civil servants which isn’t your job at all. But because you want to reward cadres you appoint them into the civil service whose operations they don’t know and now you want civil service bureaucracy to disappear? What mandate do you give the PF cadres you are appointing into a job they don’t know?
      You are merely assigning these cadres to go supervise the inefficiency, the bureaucracy. And then you come and cry as if you are not part of the problem. When we all know you are the main cause of “the levels of bureaucracy involved before releasing funds for some road projects by some ministries.”
      The answer to your bureaucracy mourn is to make the public service…

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    • The answer to your bureaucracy mourning is to make the public service professional not political. Allow them to be supervised by professionals not politicians. Haven’t you seen how well your new civil servant press assistant Isaac Chipampe is working? Compare him to the cadres who were always insulting other people under the pretext they were defending the Presidency. They just gave you bad publicity

  1. It is not bureaucracy that is hampering the release of funds, the truth is that there is no money to release. A few months ago the government was saying projects that had not started would be shelved due to lack of funds. Government has not said funds are now available. So this is just politicians saying what people want to hear and save their faces.

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  2. Things don’t just work out on their own without proper implementation structures and supervision. Only God gets things done by a simple word (directive).

  3. He’s upset because him and his goons want to embezzle some of that cash.Why don’t he get upset when the treasury can’t release funds for retirees that been crying for over 20 yrs to get their dues?? May God punish this wretched and evil president.

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  4. Expired medicines, defective gloves and condoms and other unfit for use medical supplies have been unleashed on innocent people by those entrusted with the responsibility to take care of their health and all you can talk about is something unrelated to the scandal of such magnitude? …….censored

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  5. Uyu chi colour has gone to far now….. useless w@nker . Where is the money going to come from you already bankrupted the country get it thru your thick drunk skull

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  6. Seriously so this man expects us to continue to listen to this incoherent nonsense for another 5 years?Isn’t the country broke?Imagine a country running broke all because money has been stolen. I wonder how he will leave his life after august

  7. LT ,
    Why do you stop people commenting on some stories you see beneficial to lungu ?

    Like when he was KCM will stay in Zambians hands ????

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  8. Will people eat roads ????

    First and foremost , people want jobs to live a decent life , the economy needs input to work , now roads only but no jobs ???

    This is like building a nice luxury car but having no petrol to run it, useless……

  9. The Man doesn’t know and understand that Money is not just released but mobilised first. Treasury thru ZRA has to collect Revenue or borrow or Print Money thru BOZ. Some of these Projects require foreign exchange to import Machinery and Equipment. So Treasury cannot release Money it doesn’t have. Somebody needs to make ECL Economic and Financial literate.

  10. Road projects are campaign moves sir, u can’t compare a road in misisi and rehabilitation of the Ndola Lusaka road which move goods and services including copper which contributes significantly to the Economy of Zambia. Infact you even flagged off it’s construction at billions of dollars upto now the road is not done as a dual carriege way, where is the constructor and the money because that was 3 years ago.

  11. Don’t complain. When we ask you about development which you praise yourself for, “ati: utupuba tuletalika”
    I suppose the development in Matero is equal to chililabombwe, both pf strongholds.
    It’s very difficult to know your true positions.
    Keep complaining

  12. The gross incompetence in our Leadership is really abhoring. Today in January 2021 that’s when he’s realised that there’s bureaucracy in the release of funds for Projects?…. Aba that’s Difikoti anaba uzilapo! His way of doing things leaves much to be desired.

  13. Emmalito Lias
    January 8, 2021 At 12:10 pm

    You are spot on…..

    That’s why Zambia will never reach 1st world status ………

    You have PF rats above pointing

    ” you are right our president ”

    Instead of asking where he has been for the last 8 years to realise only now that there’s a problem ??????

  14. Hahahaha, the money was released when they heard that the President is going to the CB. As soon as he leaves, they will lock up the money again and then move it to where he will be going next. They do the same with all other projects, LYING to the man. That is why he thinks that he cannot lose the elections. Wherever he goes the toilets are cleaned, walls are painted and he thinks, ‘Wow, I have transformed Zambia!’ Mr President let me give you some good advice. Never announce where you are going if you really want to know the truth. Go to UTH at midnight. Go by road to Mwinilunga, unannounced and you will see YOUR government in INACTION.

  15. President Lungu’s government had released some funds for road projects in Copperbelt and across Zambia. The majority of the work has been completed. But it is sad that some middle man eat up or hold up the released funds.

  16. The president’s intention is always benefiting Zambians. He always initiates infrastructural projects but it is not possible for him to each and every province and do inspection. Only through work visit, he comes across that some officers holding up the money which has been already authorized by him.

  17. President Lungu is completely focused on uplifting Zambians and the country. But, there are few corrupt people everywhere! They are the main obstacles in the country’s development.

  18. We are witnessing the hard work of President Lungu, better roads, infrastructural development, this was not even existing before him. Thank you Mr. President for the wonderful work!

  19. The road project is one of the difficult projects because it is time-consuming, the government cannot tell the exact time for completion of roads plus lots of money is been used which give rise to corruption. Hopes Lungu’s government will soon resolve the issue.

  20. And, that’s why people want President Lungu to visit each and every province and do an inspection. People will get the opportunity to see him, and the President will come across the status of on-going development projects.

  21. President Lungu has zero-tolerance towards corruption or any kind of obstacle in the said projects. And, hereafter this no bureaucracy will hold the released funds.

  22. The road project is one of the difficult projects because it is time-consuming, the government cannot tell the exact time for completion of roads plus lots of money is been used which give rise to corruption. Hopes Lungu’s government will soon resolve the issue.

  23. Money for roads shouldn’t be a problem in Zambia because of the toll fare collection-problem is money is diverted to other things. In essence it is not government building roads it is your toll money. The question you should be asking is where has our money for roads gone? You pay twice – on fuel there is road maintenance tax and rule road development in addition to sales tax. Then you pay at toll gates. So ask the right questions!!

  24. I remember Chiluba crying about the same thing in 1991. Does it take this long for an African government to sort out a problem?

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