Kasaba Bay Intl Airport to be completed next year

—–Construction of the K46 billion Kasaba Bay International Airport in Northern Province is expected to be completed in 2014.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications, Panji Kaunda, today told Parliament that government has allocated K46 billion towards the airport project which is expected to be completed next year.

ColKaunda said most of the works have been done except for the run way which he said has been delayed by the Rural Roads Unit which withdrew its equipment so that it could be used elsewhere.

The Deputy Minister assured that House that the project would be completed once the Rural Roads Unit brings back the equipment to wind up the remaining works.

Col Kaunda was responding to Chimbamilonga Member of Parliament, Hastings Chansa, who wanted to know when the construction of the Kasaba Bay Airport will be completed and the parts of the project which is remaining.

Mr Chansa also wanted to know what has caused the delay in the completion of the project and how much money is required to complete the works.

And Government has assured Zambians that the country will successfully migrate from analogue broadcasting to digital broadcasting by 2014 and areas that are experiencing poor ZNBC signals will finally be enjoy quality broadcast services.

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Kennedy Sakeni, told parliament that government is aware that some parts of the country are experiencing poor television signals which he said will only be addressed when the country switches over to digital broadcasting.

Mr Sakeni said government cannot afford to buy new transmitters for few areas that are experiencing poor signals but will only manage to migrate to digital so that all districts countrywide experience quality services.

He said it would be costly to purchase transmitters which he said would cost government not less than K4m rebased for a single transmitter.

He said the country was supposed to migrate this year as per SADC countries’ agreement but could not do so due to some challenges.

The Minister was responding to a question raised by Nchelenge MP, Raymond Mpundu, who wanted to know when ZNBC television signals would be improved in Kawambwa, Nchelenge and Chiengi districts.

The debate on ZNBC poor signals in rural areas was echoed by both Sinda MP, Levy Ngoma, and Vubwi MP Eustarckio Kazonga, who wanted the Minister to categorically confirm if people in the rural areas will continue experiencing poor signal.