By FLAVIOR CHISHALA –

THE Africa Road Maintenance Funds Association (ARMFA) has expressed satisfaction with the way the money has been used in the road maintenance in Zambia.
ARMFA first vice-president Fulegency Bamaros Lobota who is also director general of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Road Fund Agency said it was important for people to know how the money they pay for road maintenance through road tolling and other charges was used.
The objective of the association is to develop a network for exchange of experiences and information in the best practices of financing road maintenance in Africa among the 34 member countries.
He was speaking in an interview after touring the L400 projects in Lusaka in bid to see how the money mobilised for road maintenance was being used in Zambia.
Mr Lobota is in the country to check how Zambia is maintaining its roads through the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA).
The ARMFA had been in existence since 2003, promoting and strengthening ties between road maintenance funds in Africa as well as enhancing the capacities of existing roads.
The organisation is also promoting the proper management of road maintenance funds.
“This critical networking among African countries has taken into account importance of the road as a vector for socio-economic development of African countries particularly in the fight against poverty and bringing all the road funds in the continent to a common level of existence,” he said.
NRFA chief executive director Anthony Mwanaumo said the aim of ARMFA was to ensure that road infrastructure in member countries was developed and maintained to world class standards.
This was aimed at facilitating and growing local, regional and international trade in order to alleviate poverty.
“This (L400) is a US$348-million project and so far $175 million has already been released and certified but I must mention that when the roads are complete the road users have to contribute particularly to the maintenance of these roads,” he said.
He said that ARMFA further promoted good governance and sound management of funds for road maintenance as well as efficient public and private partnership.