Japan anticipates robust economic growth on C/belt

Japan anticipates robust economic growth on C/belt
By Kabanda Chulu
Wed 06 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT

JAPANESE Ambassador to Zambia Hideto Mitamura has said his country is committed to the establishment of up to 14 one-stop border posts (OSBPs) across a number of corridors in Africa in the next five years.

During an inspection of various Japanese-funded projects on the Copperbelt on Monday, Ambassador Mitamura said infrastructure was important to the economic development of Zambia since it would result in the enhancement of the quality of life for the people.

Ambassador Mitamura said the governments of Japan and Zambia had signed a grant aid project agreement for improvement and maintenance of Ndola and Kitwe city roads that would cost US $27 million.

He stated that the Japanese government regarded the Copperbelt as a major avenue of economic development of Zambia and through this contribution, Japan anticipated robust economic growth in the province whose benefits, with time, should spread to the entire country.

“The US $27 million constitutes the largest single grant aid provided by Japan to Zambia in 2009 but the Japanese government has also extended financial assistance to a number of other projects in Zambia and these include provision of a US $ 48 million loan for the implementation of the increased access to electricity project and the US $ 8.7 million for the project for improvement of Livingstone City Roads,” Ambassador Mitamura stated.

“And the contribution to the construction of the OSBP at Chirundu Bridge that was launched last month. This is in line with Japan's commitment to the establishment of up to 14 OSBP facilities across a number of corridors in Africa in the coming five years.”

Other projects which the Japanese government has implemented in Zambia include the extension and expansion of the Project for Participatory Village Development in Isolated Areas (PaViDIA) which has facilitated the empowerment of more than 130, 000 villagers at a cost of US $8 million and the US $5.5 million project for groundwater development in Luapula Province.