Maravi

Malupenga hails BRE's good relations with govt
By Angela Kabamba in Mongu
Tue 14 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT

WESTERN Province permanent secretary Amos Malupenga says the Barotse Royal Establishment and other provincial interest groups' fruitful inter-connectivity with the central government is highly commendable.

During a World Bank-organised stakeholders' consultative workshop on the Western Province's climate resilience programme at Mongu's Country Lodge yesterday, Malupenga said the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE), the private sector, civil society organisations and other interest groups in the province had forged a strong and fruitful relationship with the central government.

He observed that the selfless contributions to the birth of the US$36 million grant given to the Zambian government, through the World Bank last year, to strengthen the agramme in Western Province was greatly appreciated.

Malupenga noted that besides the unified approach, technical and financial support the World Bank was providing, the onus was now on the stakeholders to commit themselves to duty over the climate resilience programme.

He said the project's objectives were fundamental in the continued efforts to improve the state of canals that run through Limulunga, Mongu, Nalolo and Senanga districts, especially for purposes of transportation and agriculture.

Malupenga, however, implored the workshop participants and other stakeholders to take into account the inputs from communities who have lived and experienced the changes or outcomes that canals can bring about in people's lives.

Malupenga said the workshop should provide a space participants to highlight and make key choices for future management, maintenance and sustainability of the canals, adding that a key component worth noting for any successful developmental intervention was to ensure that stakeholders took ownership of the planning and implementation processes.

Last year, finance minister Alexander Chikwanda signed a US$36 million grant agreement of which US$5 million was a loan on behalf of the Zambian government while World Bank country representative Kundhavi Kadresan signed on behalf of the World Bank.

The six-year project aims to strengthen the national institutional framework for climate resilience and improve the adaptation capacity of poor vulnerable communities in the Barotse flood plains of which about 130,000 people or 25, 800 households would benefit.

Labels: AMOS MALUPENGA, BAROTSE ROYAL ESTABLISHMENT, BRE, World Bank

posted by MrK @ 5:10 PM