Mazabuka Turnpike road contractor ready - Chitotela
THE contractor awarded to carry out rehabilitation works on the Mazabuka Turnpike road has mobilised and is ready to start work, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Ronald Chitotela has said.
Mr Chitotela said China Henan International Corporation Group Company Limited which was awarded the contract to rehabilitate the Mazabuka-Turnpike road had mobilised and was ready to start.
Speaking to the Daily Nation, he said the road rehabilitation would be done with funding from the African Development Bank
He clarified reports that Inyatsi Construction Limited was engaged by the government to rehabilitate the Mazabuka turnpike road.
Inyatsi Site Manager, Martin Abdul has told Byta FM News that Government owed the construction company over K200 million for all construction projects across the country including the Mazabuka Turnpike roads.
Mr Abdul said he was disappointed and felt used by government after the company used its resources to work on the roads.
But Mr Chitotela said China Henan International Corporation Group Company Limited was the company awarded the contract to rehabilitate the Mazabuka Turnpike Road and not Inyatsi Construction Limited.
“The contract to rehabilitate the Mazabuka Turnpike Road was given to China Henan, of which it had even started mobilising so as to begin works on the road,” he said.
He said Government gave Inyatsi Construction Limited the contract for withholding maintenance and not the latter.
Inyatsi Construction Limited last week terminated its contract with the government and shut down its operations in Zambia citing lack of funding towards the project as the cause for it termination.
Mr Abdul said his company was left with a loss after working on projects which included Ndola, Mufulira, Solwezi Mazabuka and Mwinilunga.