MUKANGA

By JULIUS PHIRI-
TRANSPORT, Works, Supply and Communications Minister, Yamfwa Mukanga has asked United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Bank to support infrastructure development in Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs).
This, he said, would help enhance trade and transit of goods.
Mr Mukanga said this when he met UNDP administrator Helen Clark and World Bank special representative to the UN Dominique Bichara in New York on the sidelines of the first session of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the second United Nations Conference on LLDCs.
In a meeting with Ms Clark, the minister commended UNDP for its support to Zambia in areas of democratic and economic governance, environment, gender and HIV/AIDS.
Ms Clark assured the minister of the full commitment of UNDP to support the LLDCs’ conference and emphasised the importance of trade to development.
She said there was need to turn LLDCs into hubs of development especially in Information Communication and Technology (ICTs), transport and trade development at regional and sub-regional level.
This is contained in a statement released by First Secretary for Press and Public at the Permanent Mission of Zambia to the United Nations (UN) Chibaula Silwamba.
In a separate meeting with Ms Bichara, Mr Mukanga said the World Bank official discussed, among other things, the need for the bank to continue its support to LLDCs.
Mr Mukanga invited the World Bank to participate and support the LLDCs conference scheduled for Vienna, early November, this year.
Zambia is currently chairing a 32-Member Landlocked LLDCs Group.