•PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu admires some copper cables produced by Neelkanth Cables Limited of Masaiti District on the Copperbelt at the commissioning of the plant yesterday. Picture by STATE HOUSE

By JOSEPH BANDA, RABECCA CHIPANTA and CHATULA KANGALI –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has warned Lusaka-based politicians against interfering in developmental projects on the Copperbelt because they are meant for the people in the province.
Speaking on arrival in Ndola yesterday to commission two major economic projects – a copper cable manufacturing plant and a yet another cement plant as well as works on the refurbishment of the rutted Ndola-Mufulira road – the President said he had reports that some people from Lusaka had been interfering in the implementation of developmental projects on the Copperbelt.
He directed the provincial leadership to look out for those interfering in the projects.
“Politicians from Lusaka, stop being excited. These projects are for people on the Copperbelt,” he said.
He said Government performed well on the Mongu-Kalabo road project without interference but on the Copperbelt some people were trying to interfere and needed to be checked.
Mr Lungu also urged people on the Copperbelt to continue being united and working together because Government’s focus was on development.
He said he would continue visiting the Copperbelt because the people in the region voted for him and the Patriotic Front (PF) making the province a stronghold of the party.
“We promised development and we will bring development but people should not be careless with their talk and later say they did not say what they said when they land in problems,’ he said
He also said that next Tuesday he would go to Dundumwezi constituency to check on development taking place in the area.
He said he had been informed that some projects in Dundumwezi had been completed and he wanted to go and check for himself.

Meanwhile President Lungu says the proliferation of cement manufacturing plants in the country has created competition and helped stabilise prices for the common Zambian.
Speaking during the commissioning of the US$ 548 million ZCCM-IH cement plant in Ndola, President Lungu said in the past, the sector had been monopolised by a few players.
He said despite having already having some five players in the market, increased investment in Zambia’s cement industry was key to creating more competition in the market and making cement more affordable.
He said it was Government’s expectation that the prices of cement would drop further once the new cement plant, a joint venture between ZCCM-IH and Sinoconst of China, began production.
President Lungu said that ZCCM-IH and its partner would collaborate with local and international financial institutions on financing the project which would take approximately three years to be completed.
He said 1,000 jobs were expected to be created at construction stage with the project having a daily production capacity of 5,000 tonnes  adding that the plant would further have two 20 mega Watts coal fired thermal  plants to power the facility and the surplus would be sold to ZESCO.
He said the new cement plant would contribute to poverty reduction through job creation for the local people as it was time to create jobs and prosperity not endless politicking that seemed to be degenerating into lawlessness a situation he said he would not be tolerated.
“When investors decide to put down more than half a billion dollars in a single project like this, you cannot say Zambia does not have investor confidence. You should be patient before condemning and saying the country is in mayhem. When we build like this, we shall not allow lawless individuals to take us backwards,” he said.
President Lungu said once Zambians were agitated it had the potential of putting the country on fire adding that Government was resolute on maintaining and improving the business operating environment.
He said Zambia was safe for business and for law-abiding citizens and the measured response against economic sabotage –referring to the recent invocation of Article 31 of the Constitution-  should only worry wrong-doers.
ZCCM-IH chief executive officer Pius Kasolo said the cement project was in line with the organisation’s mandate of creating value for its shareholders and creating jobs for the Zambian people.
President Lungu has also called for value-addition to secondary mineral resources because the country was endowed with abundant minerals.
Speaking at the commissioning of the US $14.5 million Neekanth Cables plant, a cable manufacturing company located in Masaiti District, he said it was sad that most minerals were exported in raw form, thereby denying the country revenue.
“Our Government policy on mineral processing is to support initiatives that encourage secondary mineral processing for value addition. It is saddening to note that despite this resource endowment, not much has been done to encourage large-scale value-addition. I urge the private sector to emulate Neelkanth Cables Limited to venture into value-addition,” he said.
The president said the opening of the copper cable company would increase business linkages with copper mines since it was locally sourced.
Mr Lungu said Government appreciates the investment by Neelkanth Group of Companies which had so far reached US $100 million and created jobs.
Neelkanth Group Chairperson Subhash Patel said the cable manufacturing company was currently at 40 percent production, with 200 employees.