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(LUSAKATIMES) Cancel concession of Zambia Railways – TIZ

Cancel concession of Zambia Railways – TIZ
TIME PUBLISHED - Monday, February 6, 2012, 8:08 am

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka has alleged that the Zambia Railways concession was awarded in dubious circumstances and has proposed that the Patriotic Front government should consider cancelling the deal.

Mr Lifuka said it will not help to pretend that all is well with the Zambia Railways concession and the matter should be resolved.

“The PF government should seriously consider cancelling this concession and finding other ways of commercialising the railway sector,” Mr Lifuka said in statement released yesterday.

Recently, Government cancelled concessions and agreements on the operation and maintenance of Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) scanners at border posts and others related to operations of border points at Kasumbalesa and five other borders.

He said TIZ is aware that the railway concession has not proceeded as envisaged and “the company is now nothing but a cash cow for some people”.

Mr Lifuka challenged the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication to release the reports of the inspector of railways on the performance of the railway concession.

Mr Lifuka said his organisation welcomes the measures taken after the release of the ZRA commission report and prodded Government to thoroughly investigate the issues raised in the report and take legal or administrative action against all erring officers and public leaders.

He expressed disappointment that the Kasumbalesa concession was primarily an unsolicited bid for a project of high national security and importance.

“We find no justification why Government did not proceed to open up the tender to promote transparency in this particular transaction. The manner in which this bid was handled raises more questions than answers,” Mr Lifuka said.

He said it was worrying that Government gave the concessionaire a 14-year lease for 100 hectares of land at Kasumbalesa border and it is shocking that title deeds were issued to the concessionaire, in total contravention of the concession agreement.

Mr Lifuka said it is interesting that the border concession involved primarily one company which was using different names, as reported by the ZRA Commission of Inquiry.

The ZRA commission report revealed that the company used the name Baran for the dry ports and Kasumbalesa bids, and used Zambia (IP) Border Crossing Company Limited during the signing of the contract with Government for the Kasumbalesa concessions.

The company assumed another name – Zambia Kasumbalasa Venture Company during the commencement of operations.

The report says the company was called Zambia (IP) Border Crossing Company when bidding for the five borders but changed the name to Five Border Post Company at the time of signing the contract.

The name changed again to Five Border Post Group, after it took over the construction of Nakonde border post.

Mr Lifuka wondered why the people behind the projects found it necessary to keep changing names and why Government allowed itself to deal with a group of people who were not consistent.

Mr Lifuka advised President Sata to authorise the Minister of Finance to immediately make the ZRA Commission of Inquiry report public, in the same way he did for the Zamtel report.

“The Zambian people deserve to know the full contents of this report. There should be no sacred cows in this process,” he said.

Mr Lifuka said Government should not renege on its decision to cancel all border concessions and warned the PF government to guard against possible corrupt maneuvers by some unscrupulous individuals.

“TIZ is following this case keenly and we will not hesitate to expose and condemn any public officials who will support any unscrupulous activities which impact negatively on the lives of ordinary people,” Mr Lifuka said.

He called on Government to set in motion a process of overhauling the public procurement system, saying it is time loyal and dedicated men and women are given the responsibility of public procurement.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Labels: REUBEN LIFUKA, TIZ, ZAMBIA RAILWAYS

posted by MrK @ 4:26 PM