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Chikwanda Warns Contractors
MINISTER of Finance Alexander Chikwanda says Government will not tolerate continued delays in completing development projects because procrastination increases the costs.
Speaking when he commissioned the Nakonde border facility here yesterday, the minister said delaying public sector projects has cost implications and this is to the detriment of taxpayers and national development.
Mr Chikwanda said Government requires modern facilities to increase tax collection to raise revenue needed to invest in socio-economic projects such as roads, schools and health facilities.
“With the many competing demands on our meagre public resources, it is unacceptable that because of delays, the cost of projects in Zambia should continue to skyrocket beyond the regional and international standards for similar projects,” Mr Chikwanda said.
He said completion of the Nakonde border post project took too long when the infrastructure is needed to ensure efficient and effective export and import facilitation.
“This cannot be achieved with poor infrastructure, coupled with delays and poor working culture, among border staff,” he said.
Nakonde border post has been a source of tax revenue and is a major link between Zambia and East Africa, Europe and the middle and Far East.
The minister expects both non-tax and tax revenue collection leakages to be curbed and mitigation of vices such as smuggling and under-invoicing of taxable imports.
the pressure of inefficient border operations will be lessened and travellers through Zambia and Tanzania will be treated to efficient services.
The construction of the Nakonde border post started in August 2009 and was scheduled to be completed in October 2011 but that the contractor awarded the contract on a private public partnership (PPP) basis failed to complete the project.
The initial contractor, China Jiangxi, was recalled and completed the project.
Posted by Editor
on May 21, 2015. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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Pa Zed
May 21, 2015 at 10:00 am
Mr. Chikwanda sir, I hear there is no money left to finish the projects, especially construction of schools.
king Solomon
May 21, 2015 at 9:58 pm
Boss ba Chikwanda are you aware about retirement age for civil servants?in those pictures, you look like one of those old folks who should retire and leave young ones like miles sampa, yamfwa mukanga etc to run the shows.
major chileshe
May 21, 2015 at 10:02 am
Ndeloleshafye
kanchine
May 21, 2015 at 10:02 am
Sela tuboombeko,one pf on alot of development projects.
major chileshe
May 21, 2015 at 10:03 am
Ndeloleshafye!
New Educated Zambia©
May 21, 2015 at 10:13 am
We in the UPND would like to convey our disappointment in the political unbiased blocking of opposition on this website. Tumfweko we ask you to be fair in approach and allow for different views on issues. My devices were blocked but through help from our robust IT department am back here to continue giving people hard truth. Chikwanda is a useless fool who lives by do as i say and not do. When the kwacha plummetted how long did it take for chikwanda and his stooges to issue statements and put in place measures to reduce the shock on the local economy? Was that not procrastination? When you give your relatives contracts to build roads through corruption how can u tell them to be serious? vote upnd
Beautiful Moma
May 21, 2015 at 1:25 pm
You are Bwana Chikwanda but pay the contractors on time also. That’s what delays their work most of the time. There are a few crooked contractors out there but the majority want to do good work and create a good name for themselves, government funding is a major issue when it comes to payments.
Beautiful Moma
May 21, 2015 at 1:26 pm
..Meant right.
Kwati like so
May 21, 2015 at 2:57 pm
These idiots r pretending & yet most of projects ve stalled due to governments failure to pay. Inflated price tags, marred with corruption. U got excited thot u can embark on major project without consolidating the source of money. Very childish !
Scott
May 21, 2015 at 3:16 pm
does this include the delayed works at the International Airport in Lusaka
Kwati like so
May 21, 2015 at 3:28 pm
Yes
Wantu Wantu
May 22, 2015 at 10:09 am
It is good that you have opened the new building Mr Chikwanda, with your colleague Mr Mukanga, now can you look at the road networks in nakonde?You saw for yourselves that just from the entrance to the new building you commissioned the road is bad, you should even feel shy of yourselves because there is no way you open a building with such kind of the road.We are tired of you ba PF, come 2016 you will dance to the tune you never danced to.
You have alot promises which you have failed to for fill, in other towns even the township roads are being worked on but here in nakonde not even uku letako grader.Yet, nakonde border generates alot of revenue from ZRA, RTSA, Agriculture and Livestock, ZABS to the COUNCIL, and there no development see, the MPs, past and present have been there to enrich themselves, this time around akapya twalya, but you wont see it easily, come 2016 you are leaving state house…………
vubwi 1
May 22, 2015 at 8:14 pm
let us praise MMD for starting up this project in nakonde,Robert makasa univesity in chinsali, construction road in kabwe town and other project which PF tookover in 2011. Their are a lot of project which MMD left but it was completed by PF, let us also give them a bigup the some ideas contributed to this contry.
we shall always remember youuuu!