By CHATULA KANGALI –

Government is saddened by the development at Mansa Batteries where the investor plans to turn the cells manufacturing plant into a shopping mall.
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said the government had hoped that the battery manufacturing venture would be revived and was therefore saddened with the new plans by the investor.
Ms Mwanakatwe was responding to complaints by Senior Chief Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda speaking people and some stakeholders who raised concerns against turning the once active battery manufacturing company into a shopping mall.
“We are also not happy about the development. Since the investor has made  his final decision stating that the  industry is no longer viable and cannot  get any  profit  out of it, the  shopping  mall will  in turn  create the jobs  for locals  once  completed,” she said.
She said  in an interview  that  the  investor at Mansa  Batteries was  turning the  facility  into a shopping mall  because , according to him, the  battery making  business was  no longer viable.
The once vibrant state owned company was the largest employer in the district.
Ms Mwanakatwe earlier this month said that Government was looking for investors that  could  invest  in battery   manufacturing in the manganese -rich area.
She said there was need for  an  investor  with  a  hi-tech-state of art machinery  and enough  capital  to manufacture  batteries that would  compete  with imported  batteries.
Senior Chief Mwata Kazembe said recently that it was sad to learn of such plans as many people in the province had been keenly waiting for the time the factory would become operational.
Former Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Alfred Kalumba said, it was unfortunate that plans to turn the factory into a mall were now  advanced.