By BUUMBA CHIMBULU in Choma
GOVERNMENT has added 24 communication towers to its project which is currently being rolled out countrywide to improve connectivity in Zambia.
Transport and Communications Ministry has thus signed a contract with the Zambia Information and Communications Technology (ZICTA) to launch the project for the additional 24 towers.
This will add to the 1009 Government Communication Tower project whose management is under Zamtel.
The project consisting 24 additional towers will soon be launched, says Transport and Communications Minister, Mutotwe Kafwaya.
Mr Kafwaya explained that a contract to roll out the towers had already been signed with ZICTA.
He said this yesterday in Choma when launching a communication tower at the Nakeempa Secondary School, bringing a total number of operational towers in Southern Province to 64.
“Let me take this opportunity to announce that we are adding 25 towers to the 1009 through universal access with ZICTA. We have already signed the contract and we will soon launch it,” Mr Kafwaya said.
He said the 1009 project had recorded a rollout of 775 new sites across the country with a total of 63 new ones being in Southern Province.
This, he said, showed the importance which Government attached to ensuring that every region in Zambia had the right support to facilitate economic growth.
“There is excitement among the beneficiaries of these towers because it has transformed their lives. This signifies that Government is delivering development which change people’s lives,” Mr Kafwaya said.
Earlier, Zamtel Chief Execitive Officer, Sydney Mupeta, said it was clear that the roll out of towers was transforming the lives of people in different parts of the country, especially in rural areas.
Mr Mupeta said Zamtel had launched towers in different parts of the country, transforming the way people conducted business in such areas.
“The coming of this site will bring a number of benefits to the people of Nakeempa as they will be able to communicate with their friends and family in different parts of the Country.
“In addition, the people of Nakeempa will also be able to receive and send money on our Zamtel Mobile Money platform. They will also be able to communicate with buyers of Livestock and agricultural produce,” he said.
Mr Mupeta also announced that Zamtel had partnered with Government to use the mobile money platform to provide Social Cash Transfer services as well as Farmers Input Support Programme to Zamtel customers in different parts of the country.
Mr Mupeta therefore encouraged the people of Nakeempa to activate their Zamtel Mobile Money.
And Southern Province Minister, Edify Hamukale, requested for more towers as some areas still did not have connectivity.
Dr Hamukale said the towers which were operational had changed the way people conducted business.
