K136 m released for road projects arrears
By Staff Reporter
Government has released K136 million for the dismantling of road projects arrears and other related activities.
Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said the disbursing agency, National Roads Fund Agency was expected to use K28 million of the funds for the ongoing works at the Kazungula bridge project on the border between Zambia and Botswana.
And Mwanakatwe said that part of this funding tranche has been earmarked for the local routine maintenance contractors under the Road Development Agency (RDA) as well as for other projects under the Ministry of Local Government.
Mwanakatwe said government had further put in place a system that will ensure that the main road contractors, sub-contractors, and consultants were also paid, in due course.
She said her ministry through the NRFA will continue to strengthen its domestic resource mobilisation efforts for the road sector by increasing the road tolling footprint across the country from the current 16 to 28 by the end of 2019.
And Mwanakatwe said once completed, the Kazungula bridge will facilitate trade, commerce and investment through improved efficiency of transit traffic and reduction in the time that local and international freight takes to be cleared on both the Botswana and Zambian sides of the border.
