By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
KABWE will spread its economic viability once an airport is established, the Kabwe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KACCI) has said.
The KCCI believes the establishment of an airport would steer economic activity in areas of air transport and tourism.
Chamber honorary secretary Laurian Haangala said the district was the only provincial capital without an airport.
“The district is well connected in terms of road and railway transport but the challenge we have is lack of air transport, because we do not have an effective airport like other provincial headquarters in the country,” Mr Haangala said.
He said the establishment of the airport would link the province to the outside world and help in terms of tourism activities.
The area had a vast tourism potential but was being strained due to lack of air transport and airport facilities.
Mr Haangala said now that Zambia Railways Limited headquarters had been shifted back to Kabwe there was need to revamp the engineering workshop.
“The workshop if modernised can be one of the finest engineering workshops able to provide the needs of the railway industry in the region,” he said.
On Mulungushi Textile, Mr Haangala called for a speedy process to reopen the once vibrant textile company as it was also critical to economic revival.
The development of the textile industry would increase production of cotton in the country.
Mr Haangala said the district was surrounded by eight other districts which would stand to benefit from the textile operations in Kabwe.