— Govt. to commission all its projects in the country within the next 18 months

Govt. to commission all its  projects in the country  within the next 18 months

Mpika, February 13, 2015, ZANIS  —-  Government  says it  will commission all the projects currently being under taken in Muchinga Province within the next 18 months.

SPECIAL Assistant to the President for Project Monitoring and Implementation Lucky Mulusa says all capital projects in the new province would be commissioned in 18 months.

Mr. Mulusa said it was  President Edgar Lungu plans to commission at least one project or more projects in the country every two weeks.

He said that President Michael Sata had turned the country into a construction site adding that every part of the country has several construction works going on which should be commissioned within the next 18 months.

ZANIS reports that the Special Assistant to the President said this in an interview in Mpika shortly after concluding his tour of Muchinga Province where he had gone to check on government and donor funded developmental projects.

He charged that the best way to honour late President Sata is to ensure that all the projects he initiated come to a successful completion.

And Mr. Mulusa said that he is happy that all the projects he has visited in Mpika were running and contractors were found on site.

He said that out of 50 projects he had inspected in four districts of Muchinga Province that were awarded to Zambian Contractors, only about six contractors are working on site.

He said that that government still has a challenge with some Zambian contractors who have developed a habit of misapplying funds for the projects to buy fancy vehicles at the expense of the ordinary Zambian people who are in dare need for improved livelihoods.

He has warned of Stern action against contractors who have abandoned projects after being paid by the Government adding that soon government will be deciding on the fate of such erring contractors who also risk not to be given other contracts in future.

He explained that the Patriotic Front ( PF) Government wants to empower the local contractors through awarding contacts especially those to do with borrowed loans because they are key players in the growth of the domestic economy and subsequently contributes to the revenue of the country.

Among the projects that he monitored in Mpika is a K17 Million Modern Bus Station, a K8 million market shelter and 21km township roads worth K267 million all under the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.

The other project was a K10.1 million District Hospital whose Phase One has been successfully completed and an on-going Kapamba Day secondary School in Chief Chikwanda which has reached roof level.

And buildings officer from DEBS office in Mpika, Christopher Katongo said that  all the four schools under construction in four chiefdoms have reached roofing stage adding that by October this year all the learning institutions will be ready for commissioning.

And China Henan International Cooperation (CHICO) construction camp site, Site manager Guo Lei says works for the construction of 21km township roads are commencing on 1st April, 2015.

Mr. Lei told Mr Mulusa and his team that his company has finished mobilizing but was just waiting for an upfront payment from the Government by next week.

The special Assistant to the President for Projects and Implementation was in the Province to monitor progress of the capital projects going on in all the seven Districts of Muchinga Province and managed to monitor Projects in four Districts namely; Nakonde, Isoka, Chinsali and Mpika