K1.3bn released for projects completion
GOVERNMENT has released K1.3 billion towards the completion of various infrastructure development projects whose progress is above 80 percent across the country, Ministerial Committee on Infrastructure Development chairperson Ronald Chitotela said yesterday.
Mr Chitotela said the money was released through the task force on infrastructure development and that about K600 million would be channelled towards construction of roads, including township and feeder roads which were nearing completion across the country.
Mr Chitotela, who was speaking to media briefing on the resolutions of the ministerial committee on infrastructure development, said the balance of K700 million would be distributed to the infrastructure projects in the sector ministries.
He said K200m had been allocated to the Ministry of Health, K175m to Ministry of General Education and K50million to the Ministry of Local Government.
He further said the ministries of Home Affairs and Higher Education had been allocated K61m each, while K41m was given to the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
He said, however, that the payments would cater only for projects running under GRZ and not projects under the Ministry of Finance.
He said the money allocated to the Ministry of Transport and Communications would go towards the commercialisation of the Samora Machel International Airport in Mbala.
“The Ministry of <outh and Sport has received K7.5m towards the completion of youth resource centres nearing completion while the Ministry of General Education will use the money to complete the secondary schools whose construction is near completion,” he said.
He said K1.4m had been given to the Ministry of Agriculture, K25m to the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Environmental Protection and K3m to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to complete the construction of houses for traditional leaders across the country.
And Mr Chitotela, who is Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development, urged controlling officers to engage contractors so that work on the stalled projects could resume.
He said the contractors should carry out quality works and not be compromised.
He appealed to all provincial headquarters and district commissioners to enhance the supervision of the projects that are running in their districts in making sure that contractors carried out quality works.