By Charles Milupi
SOUTHERN AFRICAN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FORUM WILL INVEST US$3.7BN TO DEVELOP 11 ROADS FORMING THE WESTERN TRADE FACILITATION ROUTES CORRIDOR UNDER PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Fellow citizens, the Southern African Business Development Forum will invest over US$3 billion for the eleven roads selected under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) road package dubbed the Western Trade Facilitation Routes, spanning four provinces – Copperbelt, North-Western, Western and Southern, and totalling over 2000km.
Be notified that the construction of the eleven roads selected under this PPP package will be solely financed by the Southern African Business Development Forum. This bid was unsolicited as the investor brought in the idea and even selected the roads.
The agreement to construct the Livingstone -Katima Mulilo Road, Kasempa -Kaoma Road, Luampa Junction-Machile-Simungoma Road, Tapo-Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola Border Road, Kankolonkolo-Lufwanyama-Kasempa Road and Sioma -Shangombo Road, including an 8.5km bridge across the Kwando River at Shangombo boma, among others, will help facilitate international trade extending from the DRC up to Angola and Namibia.
This PPP agreement was signed on August 10, 2021 by the Office of the Vice President. However, as earlier assured, this government is deeply involved in establishing the ultimate cost of the PPP project to ensure it is quoted at the right price.
Let me reassure you fellow citizens, that your government will NOT borrow money for infrastructure development owing to the huge public debt. Mainly, we want to facilitate vital infrastructure development across the country through the Public Private Partnership Model.
