Daily Nation Newspaper

Rail firm hits 25pc cargo haulage

- By SILUMESI MALUMO

WE have attained over 900 tonnage movement of cargo from the total target of 1.2 million tonnage this year, Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL has said.

The rail firm has also attained about 25 percent of cargo movement locally.

ZRL Chief Executive Officer, Christophe­r Musonda, said the company had increased the tonnage of cargo movement this year.

Mr Musonda said the company had attained about 991 tonnage from the 1.2 million tonnage, targeted this year with only 209 deficit.

He said in an interview yesterday that even when the business had been hit severely, some strides had been made to ensure that the movement of cargo increased.

"This is not very bad considerin­g the impact of

Covid-19 for the last three months," he said.

Mr Musonda however said the company had not raked in sufficient revenue because it only conducted business within the country due to restrictio­ns resulting from Covid-19.

He said the company usually raised more revenue when there was cross border trade.

“You know counties like South Africa only allowed movement of essential goods like food and copper. Other commoditie­s were considered to be non-essential goods and we couldn't transport," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Musonda said since the 30 percent bulk cargo movement was signed in 2018, roughly 25 percent had been achieved.

He said the company had only achieved the 30 percent in the transporta­tion of cargo from Zambia Sugar.

Mr Musonda said it had been difficult to achieve the target in movement of copper and other minerals because the railway system did not reach the North-Western Province where huge production was being done.

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