The government says it is not going to cancel the agreement it signed with Macro-Ocean Investment Consortium for the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of 327 Kilometres Ndola-Lusaka Dual Carriage way.
Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Charles Milupi says people who are against the project are not doing it out of good will but want the new administration to fail.
Mr Milupi has reiterated that the Lusaka-Ndola road project is a pure Public Private Partnership (PPP) and will go ahead as planned.
The minister was speaking in an exclusive interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.
He stated that government went the PPP way on the project because it is managing the existing huge debt portfolio which it inherited.
“We have no money in the treasury, the reason we decided to engage the private sector, is only that people do not understand the extent to which the economy was damaged,” he said.
Mr Milupi said the Lusaka -Ndola road is a major and an economic channel for Zambia and that its reconstruction will create thousands of job opportunities for the youths hence politicking on the project should not be entertained.
Government has signed a USD 577 Million concession agreement with Macro-Ocean Investment Consortium to reconstruct the Lusaka-Ndola Dual Carriageway.
There is nothing wrong in the construction of the road. It is a welcome move by the new doom government.
Our concern is the manner in which the contract will be executed. The contractor will use Tax Payers money and reap where they have not sowed.
You now see politics in everything?
The minister is correct, it is it politicising.
The government of Zambia is BROKE and off course the private sector now have to get involve.
As I stated in a previous comment the private is not to road building in Zambia.
An example is, “The GED Africa Route Project” which will operate as 25-year build-operate-transfer project between the subsidiaries of GED Africa (GED Congo and GED Zambia), and the Governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Zambia under separate concession agreements.
PFofficials are miffed that the chance for them to get corruption money is gone.
Your thoughts…. it’s not only PF who are not happy with the deal…if PF were still in charge and entered into this deal I am sure your thoughts would be different.
When we raise concerns it doesn’t mean we’re politicking. Just do the correct thing, either remove NAPSA and WCFCB from the deal or let the interests of Macro Ocean end at construction. Let them handover the project after construction. If you don’t, I can assure you that one day you’ll be made to answer. And just pray that our next President won’t be a lunatic otherwise he’ll bruise you and it’ll be difficult to sympathize with you due to your current stubbornness. I end there
kkkkkkkkkk ba minister sure sure.Does it mean UPND as no good minister who can think outside the box.Honestly stop lying,we have money in zambia and stop talking about PF and just bring solutions.Stop what you are doing,every thing as gone up interms of the welfare of zambians,it is better in PF than were we are now.The kwacha as gone besek,fuel kkkkk,mealy meal mmmmm,cooking oil bwafya.So were are they taking us kanshi.
kkkkk let the old people go to rest at the farm.
To make a crooked wire straight you need to pull it. It needs much effort to straighten it or else it would remain the same. People talk and talk when they perceive and think that something is going amiss.
If you don’t clearly explain the deals/commitments you are inevitably saddling Zambians with, for many decades to come, citizens have the right to question what the heck you are doing. I wouldn’t call that politicking/politics. That is astute citizenship and patriotism. This is money people have worked their entire lives for to see them through their old age, so it matters that Govt explain clearly how their PENSIONS are affected or not. SIMPLE!