Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary Elijah Chisanga has expressed disappointment at the failure by most provincial heads to attend developmental and planning meetings.

Mr. Chisanga has since appealed to technocrats to not belittle such meetings as they are meant for the province to strategize on how to propel development in the province.

He was speaking during the 73rd Provincial Epidemic Preparedness, Prevention, Control and Management Committee meeting held at the Provincial Administration offices.

Mr. Chisanga called for planning ahead of the onset of the rain season as failure to plan would have disastrous consequences because some parts of the province are disease prone.

And Lusaka Province Director of Health Dr Tackson Lambart lamented that qualified personnel were reluctant to ply their trade in rural parts of the province.

He called for incentives for skilled human resource posted to rural areas.

ZANIS/JT/AMENDS

Acting Northern province Permanent Secretary, Gabriel Kaunda, has asked the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation, ZESCO, to consider upgrading Chishimba and Luzuwa Hydro-Electric power
stations in Kasama and Mbala district.

Mr Kaunda is of the view that expanding the two hydroelectric power stations could help address the intermittent power supply in the province.

Mr Kaunda made the call in Kasama during the opening of the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) meeting being held at the Pastoral Centre.

Mr Kaunda said the province was concerned with the intermittent power supply as it was impacting negatively on the development prospects of the area.

He observed that the two hydro power stations had the potential to generate up to 50megawatts of electricity which was more that the province’s requirement.

Chgishimba and Luzuwa hydro power station are currently generating below five (5) mega watts of electricity.

Mr Kaunda also said there was need for ZESCO to spread the risk of investment in hydro power generation by investing in other provinces.

He said there has been a lot of concern with the current investment pattern which has since created massive investment in one river basin.

Mr Kaunda observed that in an event of climate change, the nation stands to lose a lot unlike if the investment was spread to other areas.

Northern Province has a lot of potential for hydro power generation which still remains untapped.

Alfa and Crux Mining Group of South Africa have supplied mining equipment worth over US$2 million to Kampelembe Manganese Mine of Mansa.

Alfa and Crux Mine Engineer and Quality Controller, Gerhard Weltsz, said the equipment would enable Kampelembe mine to raise its manganese production to over 1500 tones from one tone per day.

Alfa Mine had secured mining rights on a land area covering over 1.2 million acres in Luapula province.

The company has however sub-contracted twelve local small scale mining firms in Luapula to mine and the minerals on their behalf.

To improve the efficiency of mining amongst the local small scale sub-contracted miners, Alfa and Crux Mining Group started supplying them with the state of the art mining equipment.

During the hand over of mining equipment and commissioning of operations at Kampelembe Manganese Mine Luapula Province, Acting Permanent Secretary Clement Siame, said there was need to invest in the mining industry and exploit the untapped mineral resources in the area.

Mr. Siame said increasing investment in the mining sector in Luapula province would alleviate poverty amongst the people in the area.

Mr. Siame said government was in a hurry to open up Luapula province to more economic developments through the exploitation of its natural resources.

He said once fully exploited, the minerals would provide employment to many people, which would lead to sustainable development in the province.

“Luapula province has huge copper, manganese, cobalt, iron ore and many other mineral deposits that are unexploited. We are calling upon investors to invest in mining here to help alleviate poverty amongst the people,” Mr. Siame said.

Bank of Zambia Governor, Caleb Fundanga, has advised people in Solwezi to obtain title deeds for their land which could serve as collateral for access to loans from financial institutions.

Dr Fundanga said people, who do not own land could form cooperatives so that they could get loans as a well registered cooperative.

Dr Fundanga said this when he paid a courtesy call on North-Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Nkolola Hazemba, in Solwezi today.

He said there is need to sensitize the people in rural areas on the benefits of belonging to community based organizations such as cooperatives that would assist them access bank loans when they can not afford collateral as individuals.

Dr Fundanga was responding to Mr Hazemba’s request for the Central Bank to make the lending Policy liberal to enable small scale businesses and farmers access loans from bank.

Mr Hazemba said while government is happy that many people are able to access loans form banks, there was still a big challenge for most people mostly those in informal employment to get loans because they can not meet the collateral requirements.

Meanwhile, Dr Fundanga has commended Lumwana Mining Company for employing local contractors in the construction process of the mine.

He has advised those that may not be directly benefiting from the mine in terms of employment to venture into various business activities such as agriculture in order to indirectly benefit from the mine through supply of farm produce.

ZANIS/ENDS/WEN/SJK