President Lungu Seeks Funding For Infrastructure Projects

President Edgar Lungu has disclosed that he has submitted four “priority” infrastructure development projects to the Abu Dhabi Fund for financing consideration.

He stated on his Facebook page today that the projects include the rehabilitation of 238 kilometres of the Serenje-Mpika road, upgrading of the 225 kilometre Kasela-Kaona road, the rehabilitation of the Beit bridge and the re-development of the “Misisi and Chibolya unplanned settlements”.

The President stated that he is optimistic that the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will positively consider the requests to finance the projects.

“The above mentioned road and Chirundu bridge projects are important undertakings because, in their current state today, this infrastructure serves as constraints to economic diversification and job creation instead of [being] facilitators. The inadequate levels and low quality of this infrastructure only leads to low economic activity and high production costs, leading to low competitiveness for our economy at regional, continental and global levels,” he stated.

On the Misisi-Chibolya settlement plan, President Lungu stated that factors resulting from overcrowding exacerbate environmental degradation and diseases such as cholera. Lungu stated that his government’s endeavour to re-develop Misisi and Chibolya unplanned settlements is to address the  negative effects of unplanned settlements.