BUUMBA CHIMBULU writes
@SunZambian
KAWAMBWA Sugar project has not shut down its operations in the Luena Farming Block, says Luapula Province Minister, Nickson Chilangwa, has said.
Mr Chilangwa explained that the project had not escalated operations because of the failure by ZESCO to connect it to the national electricity grid while the Road Development Agency (RDA) had not done the the road leading to the plant.
He said the slowed down implementation process did not amount to paralysing operations.
In a statement Mr Chilangwa said the present state of affairs did not mean that the company was opting out of the project.
He was responding to media reports that the project had closed down.
“How can Kawambwa Sugar operations be paralysed when, the company has not even started constructing a factory? The factory is earmarked for construction next year. So what is there to paralyse?
“What is there is the sugarcane plantation that is yet to be expanded. We expect the project to be expedited soon. Let us stop misleading the public, “Mr Chilangwa said.
The Minister further said Government was fully aware of the challenges that had been encountered in ensuring that the necessary infrastructure was put in place and that the issue was being resolved.
Mr Chilangwa expressed shock that some people had twisted the facts to suit their agenda on the Kawambwa Sugar issue when they did even know where it started from.
