By Kamuti Muyambela
Finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane says the country is busy trying to lift the heavy indebtedness over its shoulders and there is hardly any construction taking place, mainly because of the careless handling of road contracts without reference to finance laws by the former administration.
And minister of Green Economy Collins Nzovu urged his Infrastructure counterpart Charles Milupi to name and shame those who abused the infrastructure sector.
Contributing to debates in parliament this morning, Dr Musokotwane said road projects were just being distributed anyhow without assurance of financing.
“Today our country is faced with huge debt on its shoulders…busy paying out loans but hardly any construction taking place because of the careless handling of contracts without reference to finance laws,” Dr Musokotwane said, and added that during that time the treasury was overrun.
Infrastructure minister Milupi said he saw the leader of the opposition in parliament Brian Mundubile scratching his head as Dr Musokotwane was debating.
He said the Tolls Act of 2011 would be revised in order to improve the management of toll funds.
Green Economy minister Nzovu who received repeated point of orders from Mundubile and opposition chief whip Stephen Kampyongo at the start of his debate when he mentioned that he was making contributions as a fellow of the Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ), said he understood the apprehension from “my fellow contractor, the leader of the opposition.”
He said the report from the committee looking into works and supply revealed that there were substandard works which had been continuously exhibited by both local and foreign contractors, which came about because of corruption and non-disclosure of beneficial owners.
He said this was one sector was was heavily abused, and that the Road Development Agency (RDA) was reduced to mere spectators in the last 10 years.
