PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has directed the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development to ensure that works on the multi-million dollar Kasomeno-Mwenda toll road and the bridge project in Luapula Province begins without further delay.
President Lungu said meaningful development could not take place without supporting infrastructure.
He urged Ministry of Works and Supply and the Luapula provincial administration to ensure that the Kashiba-Kasenga border post in Mwense district is reactivated.
The President wants the pontoon to start working.
President Lungu said the border was important to the private sector.
He said the pontoon would help companies such as Mansa Sugar Limited which targeted to start exporting its produce to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kashiba-Kasenga trade corridor should be worked on as soon as possible to facilitate the exports.
President Lungu was speaking when he commissioned the US$50 million Mansa Sugar plant located in Chembe district in Luapula Province.
The commissioning was witnessed by Katanga Governor Jacques Kyabula Katwe and his entourage from DRC.
President Lungu commended Sakiza Group of Companies which owns Mansa Sugar Limited for creating about 1,500 direct and indirect jobs for the local people.
He also thanked the company for responding to Government’ call of diversification especially in agriculture and agro processing.
President Lungu said it was pleasing that the initial investment of US$28 million in the project had been raised to US$100 million out of which US$50 million has already been invested.
He said that was a clear testimony of the country’s fertile investment to stir business growth.
The President said Government would continue removing bottlenecks hindering investment in the country to attract more investments in other parts of Zambia especially rural areas.
Speaking earlier, Mansa Sugar Limited head of projects and corporate affairs Bhupendr Singn said the company was targeting to increase its sugar plantation from the current 5,000 hectares to 10,000 although the process of acquiring the additional 5,000 from the traditional leadership had been slow.
Mr Singn said Mansa Sugar was in the process of establishing an out-grower scheme in Chembe district in collaboration with local people to add 1,000 hectares to the plantation.
Chembe Member of Parliament Sabastian Kopulande assured the residents that Government would continue to promote investment in the province so that the region became an industrial hub.
While in Kawambwa President Lungu also met traditional leaders from Kawambwa district who included Senior Chief Mushota, Chief Chama and Chief Munkanta.
Chief Mushota, who spoke on behalf of the other chiefs, thanked the President for visiting the area to check on development projects and assured him of support beyond the 2021 general elections.
The President later visited the cassava out-grower project by Sunbird Bio Energy in the Luena Farm Block in Kawambwa, which will be used as feed stock in the production of ethanol.
President Lungu is on a two-day visit to Luapula Province to check on development projects. – ZANIS
