The government of Zambia has set to construct on 2,000 kilometres of feeder roads covering all chiefdoms in Northern Province.
Northern Province Permanent Secretary Charles Sipanje confirmed the reports and said that the government will work on road of dilapidated feeder roads connecting all chiefdoms in Northern Province this year.
Sipanje also admitted that more roads required renovation. According to the report from a team of engineers, sent by the government to evaluate the state of feeder roads in the province, 5,600 kilometres of feeder roads are in poor condition.
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2,000 kilometres of feeder roads
Due to limited funds, the government will only choose 2,000 Km of roads for the rehabilitation this year. 600 kilometers of feeder roads are going to be funded by the World Bank, the Zambian government will fund the remaining 1,400 kilometers of roads.
According to Sipanje, the roads that lead to chiefs’ palaces, schools, health centres, and highly populated areas will be renovated making the areas passable. The rehabilitation is also aimed at opening up places for further agriculture production.
Sipanje shared this information during a visit to Paramount Chief Chitimukulu at his residence in Kasama. He added that 50 local companies were going to be hired as sub-contractors. The traditional leader thanked the government for the project urging to hire only capable contractors. According to him, most local companies are a disappointment as they exhibit poor workmanship.
He also assured the Paramount Chief that government will ensure that the contractor who will be awarded the contract also sub-contracts youths led companies in the province. He observed that most local contractors are a disappointment as they exhibit poor workmanship adding that government should ensure that they look for capable contractors.
