Government has set aside K3 trillion in this year’s budget for infrastructural developments projects.
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Felix Mutati, said infrastructural development had the capacity to promote competitiveness in economic activities, adding that the construction sector had for a long time been the highest contributors to the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
Mr Mutati was speaking in Lusaka last evening during a public discussion on Public Private Partnerships in the face of the global economic credit crunch held by the National Council for Construction (NCC).
Mr Mutati said in the light of the global recession, there was need for business modules such as the Public Private Partnership (PPPs) to be strengthened by putting in place measures that would enable the private sector to thrive.
He added that government would see to it that the PPPs’ policy is passed and that the process of acquiring business licences is revised.
Mr Mutati observed that the current system of acquiring business licenses was too long due to high levels of bureaucracy at institutions responsible for the issuance of licenses, saying there was also need for the licenses to be compressed by getting rid of unnecessary levies.
He said government would therefore see to it that institutions dealing with the registration of prospect businesses are automated to improve on efficiency and reduce on costs of registering businesses.
The minister said government had realized the need to create a favourable environment for the private sector to boom, thereby creating more jobs which the country was in desperate need of.
He said government alone would not manage to attain economic growth but that it would create an environment that would promote partnership with the private sector in developmental projects.
Earlier, NCC Board chairman, Dr Francis Ndilila, said there was need for the construction sector to take advantage and implement more construction projects to create more jobs.
Dr Ndilila said the construction sector should reverse the 1970’s scenario which saw the sector create jobs four more times than now.
ZANIS/ENDS/MP/EB
Infrastructural story again.. Where are the solutions to the previous story?
The only thing I am waiting for is to see is a tarmac road constructed from Mongu to Sesheke. We are in the 45th year of independence and I have never understood why successive govts have never bothered.
Money is there but what is the real problem in Zambia?
This a good move by Govt, I sincerely commend them. HOWEVER, NCC is a big joke and responsible for the shoddy infrastructure that is mashrooming in Zambia. NCC was supposed to be scrutnising the quality and competencies of people who form Construction companies to ensure credible works but oooo my foot! they are a bunch of jokers!
A very good initiative indeed. What is now required are regular updates on progress so that we have full details on what, when and how the money is spent and the measures for success or failure. It is time Zambians were afforded full transparency on all stages of these important projects – costly failures are not an option in the current economic climate, and in any case, people are still feeling the effects of yesterday’s failures. I remember the MMD adverts featuring pot holes in 1990 and the party’s promises to fix all roads once KK was removed from office – it never happened but the money was spent anyway. Let us learn and move forward this time.
Hon Mutati has taken the limelight lately with good developmental projects for the nation …..One of the smart Ministers not engrossed in leadership squabbles
out of that K3t how much will be used up by the govt system? proberbly 80%, somewill say 100% and then 2010 infrastruture plane will come-no change
mmmmm…shovel ready!
Ilyashi lyakwa Dora Siliya lilikwi? Mu koti na nomba? I suspect ama Ministers bamo, kumulu kumulu balaposako amenshi, mwe.
Otherwise she would have expelled/fired let alone suspended.!Q!
It would be easier to understand tgose figures if courted in Dollars. Trillions, my goodness, next ma illions naka google.
Using Dollars would be me user friendly, interms of grasping
aba Kuchipata balayamba ukwinika abana Nombaline ati ‘ Trillion Banda’ ‘Trillion ….’ loleni fye.
Ba #10, benifye wino. Bushe ni Ku Chipata kweka kwaba amashina aya fulungana?? Nga ba ‘nsokoshi’ ba fuma kwiii??
Isn’t hydropower development infrastructure development. You cant develop the hydropower infrastructure because you are waiting for private investment to develop the hydropower infrastructure when you have raised the tariff high enough to attract private investment. The provision of energy is a measure of a country’s development. You can tell a country’s development by it its consumption of electricity. You will not develop Zambia without developing the energy sector. Look at the problems we went through because you could not bail out Zesco in its rehabilitation projects. Some of the money should go towards hydropower development.
#10, K3 trillion ~ USD525,000 at current exchange rates.
#10, oops, typo, K3trillion ~ USD525 million, not thousand, apologies.
Please show show how the 3tr dollars has been used qualitatively.
Ba LT lift my barn, at least allow me to be reading your ka paper,without commenting I need to to be updated on whats happening pa Zed.Am giving you a 24hr Ultimatum before I lift the barn myself.
Engine Bbuloko,3rqu,wiseman reborn am coming for you dead or alive with my steady strong arm,no missions impossible with me ,ask Tom cruise.I thought I told you I gat more heat than Alpacino,cocksuckers!
Hope half of this amount wont go into some people’s pockets! i dont want to mention names!
Good morning bloggers.
This is a step in the right direction. Infrastructural improvement is a prerequisite for economic growth. PPP also sounds like a progressive measure, has anyone profited from it so far?
Baby C, nice to see you here on Saturday. I hope you stay a little longer…
Hey nine chale…hopefully! Saturdays are boring thats why i rarely blog!
Greetings Nine Chale and Baby C
I am now off to work and will blog with you from the other side.
Yes Nine Chale this is a good move. I am now worried about the News Updates at LT. The threads (especially headlines) stay stagnant for about 48 hours and only 20 people comment within this period. I remember it being different before. And the Weekly Pics are had to get. Hope things get better so that LT remains attractive.
Kulasabaila fye. These guys are not tired of telling lies. Why talk so big while you cant even build a simle football stadium. Look Mutati, can you be more specific of the infrastructure you are trying to build. All Africa games has now gone to Poor Mozambique, because you buffons were saying you dont have money for infrastructure. Has has the money now come from??.
Hey Jamaco, I ‘m also looking forward to the pics. Well, with this lovely sunshine all over Gelemani, I pitty you that you have to work this weekend. I’m trying to link up with some old friend (original player) as we aim for the city tonight. All the beauties are now slowly coming out from their winter hideouts…walya iwe!!!
Look its better these guys make the budget and time frame of the use of this money available so that we can make followup and monitor what has been or not been done after some time. Otherwise we ll never see anything or when done. They can say; so much will go to NCZ, so much to Zesco, so much to National Housing, for this and that project. Otherwise this is just cheap politicking.
Nine Chale you are naughty ! =)) original player ayi !!
Anyways only today and am off tomorrow and monday.
I am also waiting for the pics from LT. Sunshine in Gelemani is like Gold. Enjoy yourself and I will join you later. Get the Biergarten with the Weizen rolling bro.
Govt allocates 3 trillion to Germany Z residents