Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary, Augustine Kasongo has called on the Ministry of Transport and logistics to expedite the process of compensating displaced farmers who paved way for the construction of Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola.
Mr Kasongo says there is need to ensure that the affected farmers are fully compensated and resettled as they have been frequenting his office to check on the progress.
Mr Kasongo was speaking in Ndola today when the board of the Zambia Airports Corporation called on him at his office.
He said those that are not fully resettled have expressed concerns that the rain season has just started and they have nowhere to cultivate.
They are now asking government to allow them to cultivate on the repossessed land for the 2022/2023 farming season.
And Mr Kasongo has implored the new board to see to it that all infrastructure at the US $ 397 million state of the art facility is fully completed in good time so that the facility can operate at full capacity.
Mr Kasongo is happy that works on the access road to the airport have commenced and are at an advanced stage.
And speaking earlier, Zambia Airports Corporation Board Chairperson, Zevyanji Sinkala said the board is equally excited that works on the access road have commenced.
Mr Sinkala said the board is in Ndola to appreciate the state of infrastructure at the airport and that while in Ndola, the board will ensure that other pending issues are attended to so that the facility can be at 100 percent operational.
He said his team will also engage the Local authorities to see to it that no land allocation on the airport land is entertained as there has been reports of land allocation on the said piece of land previously.
A piece of the access road…. not the entire access. Maybe it’s the reporter or the PS