Rural plight worries President

By NATION REPORTER

Lack of information and communication is one of the contributing factors to the increased levels of early marriages and alcohol abuse in rural areas, President Edgar Lungu has said.

The President noted that people in rural areas need access to information and communication concerning the policies and developmental works that the government was implementing in the country.

6peaking yesterday when he launched the , village satellite TV project valued at value K20million in 9ubwi (astern Province, President Lungu directed Ministers of Information and Broadcasting 6ervices and General (ducation to Tuicken the opening of education service channel and parliament television.

“Am directing the Ministers of Information and Broadcasting services and Minister of Education to Tuickly open the (ducation 6ervice channel and Parliament TV so that the people in rural areas have access to government policies and projects,” he said.

The satellite project, he observed, was essential for the people in remote areas in that it would enable the people in Vubwi and the rest of country to have access to information and also be informed of what the government was doing.

³ :ith this proMect you will be able to know what we are doing in Lusaka, what other proMects we are working on and with access to information, no one will come here and lie to you about what we are doing,” he said.

And speaking on behalf of the &hinese ambassador, Economic and commercial counsel of the Chinese Embassy, Mr Outing Daobing, said the project launch was one of the key milestone in minting the cultural as well as people to people exchange between Zambia and &hina.

Mr Daobing said the satellite TV project will open a window for Zambians to see and understand the outside world and promote local economic and social development.

“With satellite TV, people in rural areas will easily have access to news and information about what Government is doing and the young people will gain in agriculture, science and sanitation knowledge, a key in getting rid of poverty in remote areas,” he said. +e added that apart from this proMect, Zambia and China had continued harvesting fruitful achievements on various cooperative sectors such as in infrastructure development, health, industrial capacity cooperation and people to people exchange.

+e assured President Lungu that &hina was ready to continue working with Zambia in consolidating political mutual trust and steadily expand economic and trade cooperation.