K14m goes into State printer

GOVERNMENT has so far spent K14 million towards the recapitalisation of the Government Printing Department, Minister of Works and Supply Sylvia Chalikosa has said.

Ms Chalikosa said the total cost for the recapitalising process which was co-financed by Government and an investment partner was K258 million. She said the process was expected to be completed by January 2020 subject to availability of money.

Ms Chalikosa was responding to Mufulira Member of Parliament Evans Chibanda who wanted to know when the Government Printing Department would be recapitalised.

She said most of the equipment had become obsolete and there was need for it to be replaced.

“The problem that Government Printers is facing and which has attracted the need for it to be transformed is that most of the machines have become obsolete.

There are no spares and there is need to transform the department such that it can produce bulky documents in a short space of time and in large quantities,” Ms Chalikosa said. She said upon completion of the recapitalisation process, the Printing Department would be ready to print ballot papers and other election materials for the 2021 general elections.

Ms Chalikosa said it was important that ballot papers and other election materials for the 2021 general election were printed in Zambia.

Printing the papers locally would reduce the costs associated with doing it from aboard and also create employment opportunities for Zambians.