By KENNEDY MUPESENI in Kasama –
NOTHERN Province needs more investment in banks, filling station and shopping  facilities to cope with the increased economic activities, Professional Teachers’ Union of Zambia (PROTUZ) provincial chairperson Frazer Sinyangwe has said.
Mr Sinyangwe said the province has in the past 10 years continued recording significant economic growth but bemoaned that the province had continued lagging behind in terms of certain facilities.
“We need banks, filling stations as well as shopping malls in all the districts in the Province.
“Look at the number of vehicles flooding Kasama, so if banks and other facilities were in districts like Mporokoso, Mbala and Kaputa among others, congestion would have lessened and reduced the cost of doing business,” Mr Sinyangwe said  in an interview in Kasama yesterday.
If banks and other facilities were in all districts, it would have reduced significantly the cost  of transport which in turn, lessens the cost of doing business.
The teacher union wanted investors both foreign and local ones to consider investing in such facilities because they would be assured of high returns on the investment, looking at the immense potential.
He commended the Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda for spearheading the expansion of National Savings and Credit Bank (NATSAVE) which had seen a number of branches opening in the province.
“Government is making a lot of efforts to encourage banks to spread branch networks in rural districts, we recently saw NATSAVE opening in Chilubi and the latest being Mungwi.
“Indo-Zambia Bank is scheduled to open in two week’s time although we need more of that,” he said.
Mr Sinyangwe said investors should also consider investing in real estate businesses looking at the fast-rising population in the province which was raising the demand for accommodation.