SATA

By KAIKO NAMUSA –
GOVERNMENT is targeting major improvement of Northern Province’s economic viability, particularly the agriculture and road sectors.
President Michael Sata said the Patriotic Front (PF) was determined to improve infrastructure to bridge the divide between urban and rural areas.
“Today I wish to share with you some of our Government’s strategies for attaining sustainable development and improve the livelihoods of our people in Northern Province. As you may be aware, Northern Province has a comparative advantage in agriculture and tourism,” the President said.
The President said on his Facebook page yesterday that it was Government’s intention to promote rural development through agricultural and tourism development, rural enterprises and providing support to infrastructure.
He said Government’s focus for investment in infrastructure included the rehabilitation and establish of tourism support infrastructure and the development of the Northern Tourism Circuit.
The upgrading of the Mpulungu Harbour which was Zambia’s main route to the Great Lakes Region, was also a priority.
Mr Sata said other projects were the construction and upgrading of airports and airstrips in the districts.
The Government, he said, would rehabilitate and establish agricultural infrastructure and facilitate development of agricultural resettlement schemes as well as the development of farm blocs.
Others include to construct and rehabilitate water and sanitation infrastructure as well as identify potential sites for dam construction and the 15 megawatts up-rating of Lunzua power project.
The outlined projects also involve the upgrading of road D18, from Kasama to Isoka, Kasama to Mbesuma Pontoon, whose ongoing works were at 90 per cent progression rate.
Mr Sata said the upgrading of the 151-kilometre stretch of the Kasama to Mporokoso, the 10 kilometres, Mporokoso to Kawambwa and Mporokoso to Kaputa roads, whose works are also on-going at 81 per cent progress.
Upgrading of the 171.9 kilometres Mbala-Nakonde Road (D1) to bituminous standard is another project whose overall progress was at about 11 per cent.
Mr Sata said the contractor had surfaced to Asphalt Concrete up to a total of 18 Kilometres, and that construction and re-alignment to Class 1C bituminous standard of the M3 Luwingu to Kasama road was substantially complete.