Government says the potential that infrastructure development has in job creation has not been realized because of lack of a policy framework that guide the construction sector on how government’s blue print in employment creation can be actualized.

Central Province Permanent Secretary (PS) Chanda Kabwe said the country’s efforts to achieve economic diversification and job creation could be attained through addressing socio-economic and structural issues which constitute binding constraints that are related to inadequate infrastructure.

Mr. Kabwe said this in a speech read on his behalf by Central Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Felix Mangwato during the official opening of the Policy Consultative meeting on Labour based Technology and Output Based Road Contractors sensitization meeting in Kabwe today.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Kabwe said inadequate and low quality infrastructure development has led to low economic activity and high production costs that has resulted in low competitiveness.

‘’Crititical infrastructure such as housing, electricity, feeder roads, rail, air and water transport and sanitation have not been adequate to facilitate the desired levels of economic transformation and leverage private investment,’’ he said.

The PS observed that it is out of this realization that government through the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development and the National Council for Construction (NCC) with the help of the World Bank has developed a White Paper which it intends to adopt into policy on mainstreaming Labour Based Technology (LBT) in the construction sector in the country.

Mr. Chanda observed that the Labour Based Technology (LBT) once adopted will clearly specify which works will be executed manually using human labour.

He said some of the promises contained in the ruling PF manifesto in remedying the infrastructure sector included the rehabilitation and upgrading of the existing road network including feeder roads, constructing ring roads around major cities and to construct or extend the rail network to areas of economic activities through public-private partnership and to promote the public-private partnership in the aviation industry.

He however, observed that government is aware that making policies only is not enough adding that the key lay on how the policies adopted are implemented.

Government has called on authorities in all districts of Zambia to establish at least 20 hectares of land forestry plantation depending on their local conditions.

Vice President Inonge Wina says the local authorities should consider establishing the forestry plantations in their respective localities as forestry by-products such as trees help protect the land from massive erosion and make a source of good, fresh and quality water in the country.

She pointed out that trees are also a source of shelter, fruits, building materials and firewood hence the need to sustainably manage the natural resource.

“I also wish to encourage every district to grow trees such as macadamia, cashew nuts, coffee and fruits that command huge profit margins on the international market,” she said.

The Vice President said this at Ndubulula primary school in Rufunsa district today when she officially launched the 2017/2018 tree planting season whose theme is: “ plant trees to grow the economy sustainably.”

She reiterated that trees support sustainable agriculture, food security, a green sustainable environment and are a source of income for many Zambian communities who sell fruits such as masuku and mangoes.

Mrs. Wina pointed out that research has emphasized the need for human beings to conserve their environments for better lives.

“We therefore need to pay attention to this important resource that we often cut without considering the negative impact,” she said adding that it was government’s desire that every citizen plants at least one tree.

And Mrs. Wina has said government was ready to partner with the private, public and community-based stakeholders in guaranteeing the successful implementation of the tree planting programme.

“I take this opportunity to call upon the private sector to seriously consider investing in the forest sector taking lessons from companies such as Nokia in Finland which started as a forest company before diversifying into a telecommunications industry,” she said.

She said this will support the diversification of Zambia’s economy thereby creating wealth from both traditional sources and forests and forest-related products.

The Vice President has also revealed measures to control the over-exploitation of valuable tree species such as muzauli, mulombe, mukusi and kayimbi brands.

Some of the measures embarked on include a massive national tree planting initiative called ‘Zambia plant a million trees, the development of the community forest management regulations, imposing a ban on exporting raw timber of all species and establishing a multi-sectoral task force to explore ways of promoting value addition to timber.

Meanwhile, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Jean Kapata said the tree planting event signifies the importance which government attaches to promoting sustainable environment.

Ms. Kapata has therefore appealed for more funding to ensure improved service delivery by her ministry.

And Lusaka Province Minister Japhen Mwakalombe said government will work to curb illegal timber traders.

Mr. Mwakalombe said indiscriminate cutting of trees has devastating effects to the environment and the economy the country.

Indian solar engineering, procurement and construction contractor Sterling and Wilson has been selected by French renewables developer Neoen to build a 54.3-MWp solar park in Zambia.

The project, which is being developed under the World Bank Group’s Scaling Solar programme, will be Zambia’s first utility-scale solar power plant.

The site is located in Kafue district, southeast of Lusaka and is spread across 52 hectares of land.

The International Finance Corporation announced in December that financing for the solar park had been completed, and that Neoen and its partner, First Solar Inc have issued a “notice to proceed” on construction.

Neoen and First Solar won the project in a tender in June 2016.

The other winner in that tender was Enel Green Power with a 28.2-MW solar project.  

Bikesh Ogra of Sterling and Wilson said that Zambia, which suffers from power outages, is a key market for the company “considering the booming renewable energy segment and the Zambian government’s support for the development of 500 MW of new Solar PV plant in next couple of years. Sterling and Wilson is a key player in Africa region. We have commissioned 90 MWp Solar PV plant in Africa till date. Reports suggest one in five people living in the country currently has no access to electricity, a basic need today. We are glad to be chosen by Neoen for this project and are privileged to be part of the energy revolution in a power deficit market.”

In the year 2015, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) signed an agreement with IFC to develop two large-scale solar projects through Scaling Solar program.

This will be Zambia’s first utility scale solar PV project and first under Scaling Solar Program exclusively for on grid application.

Wikama Cooperative in Mufumbwe has embarked on a peanut butter processing project to produce organic peanut butter product.

Speaking after the launch of a product called Vyelu Peanut Butter, Project Officer Annic Sakazanga announced that the product is not only certified by the Zambia Bureau of Standards but also an organic package.

Ms. Sakazanga encouraged the public to consume their peanut butter because it is chemical free.

She said the plant at the moment produces 390 bottles of 500g peanut butter per month translating into 4,680 bottles per year.

Ms. Sakazanga disclosed that about K144, 000 was spent on staff training, mentoring, infrastructure and machinery.

And Wikama Cooparative Secretary Henry Soneka has commended Caritus and its cooperating partners for their support on the project.

Mr. Soneka has assured the funders that Wikama Cooperative will not only take care of the facility but also work hard so that they realize the expected benefits of the project.

He however, appealed to government and other interested parties to help them with funds to acquire the bigger machine than the one they are currently using to process the peanut butter.

Mr. Soneka explained that a bigger machine will enable the cooperative to produce the peanut butter on large scale thereby, supplying to a larger customer base.

Meanwhile, Caritas Solwezi Director, Albert Sakala has promised Wikama Cooperative team that his organisation will help to market the product.

Mr. Sakala called on the public to be on the look for Vyelu Peanut Butter as they go shopping adding that, the product will soon be available in leading shops and chain stores.

The World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia has announced that it is launching a pilot project focusing on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) also known as drones for environmental monitoring in ZamThe project is aimed at enabling the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) attain aerial superiority for increased efficiency in detecting and responding to poaching and other threats in the country’s protected areas.

WWF Zambia Head of Communications and Marketing Eneya Phiri said in a statement that the project was conceived following Government’s produced guidelines on the use of UAVs in June 2016.

“The publication of these guidelines provided an opportunity for the Zambian Conservation sector to take advantage of recent advances in drone technology as cost effective and more efficient tools for surveillance, poaching threat detection and wildlife research applications.” Mr. Phiri said.

“At WWF, we view this landmark development as a great opportunity to equip DNPW and its partners with cutting edge technology that will revolutionize surveillance, research and wildlife monitoring for conservation which has been a severely underfunded sector in Zambia. This technology will go a long way in complementing the efforts of the hard-working men and women who strive every day, risking their lives to protect our country’s iconic wildlife species. It is the way conservation for sustainable development is being conducted in the 21st century and we are proud to be pioneering these efforts in Zambia.” Mr. Phiri said.

The pilot project will target DNPW and six of its partners working in five flagship national parks across the country.

The drones will be used for surveillance of poaching threats, wildlife surveys and monitoring as well as mitigation of human wildlife conflicts.

At the end of the project, the officers involved will be trained and certified to fly UAVs for a wide range of conservation operations such as anti-poaching, wildlife aerial surveys, habitat monitoring and human wildlife conflict mitigation.

The implementation of the project will involve DNPW, the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority (ZCAA), the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) among other strategic partners.

Training for drones’ usage will start on 14th of February 2018.

If successful, this project will lead to full-scale, game-changing innovative surveillance for protecting Zambia’s iconic species.

Government has allocated 72 Solar Milling plants to three districts in Southern Province.

Choma District Commissioner (DC) Sheena Muleya said government is targeting to install 2,000 milling plants country-wide in maize producing districts of which 40 have been allocated to Choma, 16 to Gwembe and another 16 to Pemba district.

She disclosed this during the close of a three day solar milling plant operations training workshop for selected cooperatives from the three districts held at Kalungula lodge in Choma today.

ZANIS reports that Ms. Muleya said it is the government’s dream to see to it that mealie meal prices are reduced and made affordable to every Zambian.

She said that it is government’s expectations that the mills will be used to manufacture mealie meal which will be made readily available in shops in Choma and other districts.

She further noted that the development has resulted in the creation of jobs for the youth especially in rural areas.

“Note that a lot of money has been spent in procuring these solar milling plants which is the first of its kind in Zambia and possibly Africa. Therefore, I cannot emphasize the need to take good care and maintain the milling plants,” she said.

The DC added that the mills have been given as a loan that was facilitated through the Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) and that the cooperatives receiving them will need to pay back in accordance with the lease agreement.

Meanwhile, Ms. Muleya has made a request to the department of cooperatives under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and the District Cooperative Union to see to it that other forms of cooperatives are formed so that employment is created to carter for the many youths who are currently unemployed.

And in a vote of thanks group Representative Gerald Hamuchenje thanked government for the initiative noting that it has helped empower youths in rural areas.