THE Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has launched the US$8.6million airspace integration project in an effort to deepen regional integration through creating a unified single air space control framework.
The project, which is being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) was signed for in Lusaka on February 24, 2011.
COMESA acting secretary general Stephen Karangizi said the project will also create an enabling legal and regulatory framework for a unified upper airspace in the COMESA region, East Africa Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Mr Karangizi said this yesterday during the launch of the project and official opening of a two-day workshop in Lusaka.
“The main objective of the US$ 8.6 million Navigation and Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) infrastructure project is to deepen regional integration through creating a unified single air space control framework,” he said.
He said Rwanda will host the project and the workshop was organised to build capacity of the technical unit which will help in implementing the project.
The project will be implemented through the public private partnership (PPP) arrangements that will finance, build and operate the regional CNS/ATM infrastructure.
Mr Karangizi commended the bank for investing over US$5 billion towards development of transport and energy infrastructure programmes within the region.
And Ministry of Communications and Transport permanent secretary Dominic Sichinga in a speech read for him by his deputy Chitalu Kabalika said the launch of the airspace project is timely.
“Air transport carries unique characteristics, for it being the quickest mode of integration, and arguably one of the cheapest to develop,” he said.
Mr Sichinga said for COMESA, the project is not only a link for tourism and investors but also a means of transport for agricultural produce which will be easily exported to Europe and other international markets.
He said regional integration is not only an instrument for the achievement of sustainable development but also a shield for the regional economies from excessive reliance on bilateral economic engagements which are vulnerable to international economic trends.
Earlier, AfDB country representative Freddie Kwesiga said the project will improve integration through easing the movement of goods and people within COMESA.
“I reiterate the bank’s commitment and support to the faster realisation of the project’s objective… I wish to thank members of the CNS/ATM working group for their participation in the two-day workshop,” he said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Name: Senior Citizen | Country of residence: ZM | Written: Thursday, 15 October 2009 (10:44I have used many variables to reach this conclusion. Should Mugara lose, as a democrat I will salute him and his party with dignity, but then will retire from blog politics and my business. Instead, will enter active politics which has never been on my calendar beyond blogging during free times. But I vow MMD victory in Kasama is undebatable.Name: Senior Citizen | Country of residence: Zambia | Written: Friday, 16 October 2009 (15:39)21001Someone has asked “Hello Mr Senior Citizen-are you going to retire from blogging” QuoteANSWERI’m a man of my words.