Maravi

Delay in C/belt road projects worries JCTR

Delay in C/belt road projects worries JCTR
By Sydney Mungala
Mon 30 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

THE Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has expressed worry at the delayed implementation of road projects worth US$15 million on the Copperbelt Province.

Launching a report dubbed Copperbelt Feeder Roads: A case study of Mpongwe, JCTR researcher Andrew Banda said a two year delay for a three year planned project amounted to failure.

The Copperbelt feeder road project was initially set to kick off in February 2008 after the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and OPEC the co-financiers of the project with government signed the agreement but has stalled.

At the time of signing the project was pegged at US $12.5 for 768 kilometres million but the cost has since risen to US $ 15 million due to delays and the kilometres have been scaled down to 210 kilometres.

“Delaying the implementation will have very serious fiscal implications. The government will have to service the loan even when the capital project was never implemented,” noted the JCTR.

But area member of parliament Gabriel Namulambe described the report as being partially correct.

In response JCTR programme officer for debt and public resource monitoring Privilege Hang’andu said there research was exhaustive.

Labels: ANDREW BANDA, INFRASTRUCTURE, JCTR, ROADS

posted by MrK @ 4:19 AM