•COMMUNICATIONS, Transport, Works and Supply Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda (second from right) touring the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) workshop in Kabwe yesterday to check on operations. With him, are ZRL and Central Province administration staff. Picture by SUNDAY BWALYA-ZANIS
By JAMES KUNDA-
MORE people will benefit from the ongoing Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL)’s rehabilitation works after the Government directed the company to award contracts to cooperatives to undertake the works.
The Government said the company should stop issuing contracts for the railway rehabilitation project to individuals, because this was disadvantaging many of the unemployed.
Transport and Communications Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda said the company should instead award contracts to people who had cooperatives within a given community where works were being done, so that more people could be employed.
Colonel Kaunda said he was disappointed that individual contractors only employed a handful of people and offered them poor wages.
He said this yesterday when he toured the ZRL link from Kabwe to Kitwe aboard one of the trains.
“A lot of our young people are not benefiting from these jobs because individual contractors are exploiting them and keeping profits to themselves,” he said.
Colonel Kaunda said ZRL should also engage more local experts on the technical aspect of railway rehabilitation.
He said there were experienced rail track foremen in the country who were still willing to offer services to Zambia Railways.
The deputy minister said the Government was happy with the progress made by the firm towards rehabilitation of the rail line.
