Stalled works at Kasaba Bay Airport worry PAC

THE Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will pursue the issue surrounding the stalled works at Kasaba Bay Airport due the large amount of money already expended on the project.

PAC chairperson Vincent Mwale said US$15 million had been spent by Government and delays in completion of the project were worrying and detrimental to development.

Mr Mwale was briefed by Northern Province Permanent Secretary Hlobota Nkunika that the only investor in Kasaba Bay running Ndole Lodge will pull out because of lack of clients compounded by the non-operational airport.

The committee itself failed to visit Kasaba as one of the bridges along the way to Nsumbu National Park had collapsed.

Water transport is the only way of getting to Kasaba and the absence of a boat to take the committee members forced Mr Mwale and his team to turn back.

“We will definitely come back so that we can get to the bottom of the issue and make recommendations for the speedy resolution of whatever has stalled the works,” he said.

Mr Nkunika had earlier explained that 75 per cent of the works on the airport had been done before they were halted. This was after the Anti-Corruption Commission begun investigating the contractor.

The project was awarded to Ng’andu Consulting Limited.

Ng’andu Consulting was earlier this year said to be a bogus contractor as alleged when the Road Development Agency (RDA) appeared before a Parliamentary committee on Transport, Communications, Works and Supply.

But company managing director Abel Ng’andu said the firm was reliable and had successfully completed other projects before.

Apart from the Kasaba Bay runway, Ng’andu consulting has also been awarded the contract for the upgrading of the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriageway.

Times of Zambia