Elvis Nkandu says government has an obligation to deliver development to all constituencies regardless of whether they produce cabinet ministers.
The Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts (Zambia) minister said road construction across the country, including in Northern Province, will be guided by the national development plan rather than the presence of senior government officials from particular areas.
Speaking during an interview , Nkandu said government is committed to ensuring equitable development across the country.
“Whether there is no minister who is coming from your constituency, it’s an obligation of government to give development to those people that are there,” he said.
Nkandu dismissed suggestions that Kaputa District should receive priority road infrastructure because some senior government leaders originate from the area.
“I don’t buy those issues where you say, because the minister of sport is coming from Kaputa, the vice president is coming from Kaputa, then we have to do roads. That will be segregation,” he said.
He explained that government has already outlined a long-term infrastructure development blueprint and that roads captured in the plan will eventually be implemented.
“As a responsible government, we have a plan to make sure that those roads are done. If that road is part of the plan, it will definitely be done,” Nkandu said.
The minister attributed delays in implementing some projects to economic challenges the government inherited.
“We found a broken economy. You can imagine, we were growing at negative 2.8 percent. It was very difficult for us to find money to do these roads,” he said.
Nkandu added that government is exploring alternative financing options, including public-private partnerships, to support road construction projects.
“That’s why one of the issues we are talking about is public-private partnerships. Because we know that we don’t have the resources, so even these roads will be done through PPP,” he said.
He urged citizens to remain patient as government works to stabilise the economy and create fiscal space to implement infrastructure projects.
“Obviously, people should give us more time, especially that we are coming from an economy that was so broken. Now we are trying to rebuild, and once the fiscal space is there, the roads will be done,” Nkandu said.
