The Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Ronald Chitotela has assured people of Nchelenge District in Luapula Province that tarring of Kashikishi-Lunchinda Road which links Nchelenge and Chiengi districts will start in March this year.
According to Chitotela, the government has made a US $3.8m down payment which translated into a 15% of the US $77.2m contract sum to the contractor Sinohydro Zambia Limited. The contract period of the road was 24 months. The government is however determined to ensure that about 100 km road in Luapula gets worked on.
Chitotela said that the contractor would have moved on site along time ago but was waiting for the rain season to reduce. “The government is aware that the people of Luapula, especially Nchelenge and Chiengi are not happy that tarring of the road has taken long which is why all logistics have been put in place to ensure that works on the road start this year,” he said.
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Mr Chitoteloa said the government of President Edgar Lungu wanted to deliver on all its promises and also urged the contractor constructing the medical hub in Mansa, Dafa Construction, to uphold the highest standard of professionalism in their works. “We will not tolerate substandard works because the government is spending huge amounts of money on the infrastructure,” he added.
The medical hub, which would be storing medical supplies for Luapula Province is under construction, with 70% of works done.
