LCC welcomes online issuance of construction permits

By KALOBWE BWALYA GOVERNMENT should be commended for piloting the issuance of construction permits at Lusaka City Council (LCC) online, says Town Clerk Alex Mwansa.

Mr Mwansa said it was a worthwhile project as there was high demand for the local authority to be responsive to the needs of stakeholders.

Speaking at the official opening of the Automation of construction permit training workshop in Lusaka recently, Mr Mwansa said LCC management was doing its part to ensure that the project took effect by procuring computers for all council offices including councillors.

Mr Mwansa also said the council was in the process of introducing free Wi-Fi services in selected public areas as a way of incorporating everyone in the implementation of the project.

“It’s not about having a flashy Civic Centre and flashy offices, it’s about officers who are equipped and up-skilled in terms of ICT and are able to transfer that and apply it in their dealings with the clients,” said Mr. Mwansa.

And LCC director of City Planning, Godwin Chinoya said government had launched a programme aimed at making business faster.

Mr Chinoya revealed that the programme funded by the World Bank was being managed by Cabinet office.

Mr Chinoya said the automation of construction permit training workshop was meant to train LCC officers on how the programme worked and how every department of the council would be integrated.

“For us as Lusaka City Council, we have been given one component- that of construction permitting,

“We were given this component of making business faster by approving these permits faster through the automated construction permitting system online,” said Mr Chinoya.