Wed, 05 Jul 2017 12:09:13 +0000
By MUKOSELA KASALWE
CONSTRUCTION works of the Kasama runway Airport have stalled due to non-payment of a balance of K22 million to the contractor.
Ari Hui Shuian Construction Group administrative officer Luchille said works had halted as they had run out of funds.
Kasama Central Patriotic Front Member of Parliament, Kelvin Sampa, who made an impromptu visit this week at the airport said the infrastructure was an economic booster which not only benefited the district but Northern Province.
Mr. Sampa said he informed Finance Minister Felix Mutati who acknowledged having made a payment of K10 million but that he was not aware that a request of K22 million had been made.
The parliamentarian said the minister requested that they hold a meeting with his Transport and Communications counterpart Brian Mushimba on how to solve the issue.
I was talking to Minister of Finance on phone Felix Mutati who is in Ethiopia attending to national issues and he acknowledged paying K10 million but he is not aware of the K 22 million request made,” he said.
He said a stretch of 3.6 Kilometres of the airport runway was manageable compared with the huge projects that the PF had undertaken such as the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriage way or Chingola-Solwezi Road.
Mr. Sampa said he was cognizant that the stabilizing and applying of asphalt was the critical stage of the project which he said needed to be done before the onset of the rains.
He said most investors had shown interest to come into the district but that they were reluctant due to the stretch by road from Lusaka.
And Ng’andu Consultancy materials technician Rogers Bowa said if funds could be released soon the runway would be completed before end of this year. Later, Mr. Sampa toured Kasama General Hospital and expressed concern that the only surgeon had been transferred to Chilonga Mission Hospital. The lawmaker said the hospital needed a facelift as the infrastructure had been incomplete since 1974.
He said the current status of the hospital was pathetic and that there was need of a district and first level clinics to help decongest the health facility.
Mr. Sampa said the hospital needed to be worked on as its current status was worrisome.
