LIVESTOCK MINISTER FUMES OVER STALLED PROJECTS
LIVESTOCK and Fisheries Minister Kampamba Mulenga has expressed concern over the stalled projects on the Copperbelt.
Ms Kampamba said she was disappointed to discover that projects under her ministry had stalled in many areas on the Copperbelt particularly infrastructure development.
She said this in Ndola yesterday when she paid a courtesy call on Copperbelt Minister Japhen Mwakalombe.
The Minister said while visiting her constituency in Kalulushi, she discovered that dip tanks were still under construction for more than 10 years.
“it is very discouraging to see that dip tanks that have been under construction for 12 to 13 years are still not completed. How do we start new projects when we already have a number of projects that are still pending,” she wondered.
Ms Mulenga said there was no coordination among building engineers, District Commissioners and contractors.
She said the government has set as priority the diversification of the economy from dependence on mining to agriculture, hence it was important for projects under the Ministry of fisheries and livestock to be completed as soon as possible.
The Minister added that a fish-freezing plant in Mpongwe had not been completed yet the contractor had been paid money in full.
She demanded for the fish freezers to be installed so that the local people could start benefitting through employment creation and preserving their produce.
Meanwhile, Ms Mulenga said her ministry would work hard to ensure small-scale livestock farmers are boosted to commercial scale to forestall the deficit in beef and fish industry.
She appealed to Mr Mwakalombe to liaise with her ministry to empower women, youths and emerging farmers in the field of aqua culture on the Copperbelt.
And Mr Mwakalombe said contractors who were not complying with the provisions in the contracts with Government will be brought to book.
He equally expressed worry about the stalled projects in the province but was quick to point out that corrective measures were in place so that benefits from the projects could start trickling down to the ordinary people.