Sat, 08 Apr 2017 10:24:19 +0000
COPPERBELT minister Bowman Lusambo has applauded Mpongwe-based farmers for giving K250,000 towards the upgrading of the Mpongwe-Machiya road to bituminous standard.
Mr Lusambo said it was Government’s desire to ensure that development was taken to all parts of the country.
He said Government was diversifying the economy of the Copperbelt from copper dependence to agriculture and other precious minerals with the target being Mpongwe, Lufwanyama and Masaiti.
“I am happy that this year, we will have a bumper harvest. So we need to work on the roads, especially this Mpongwe-Machiya road which is key to our farmers and to realise President Edgar Lungu’s vision of creating one million jobs,” he said.
He said once worked on the road would boost the agriculture sector and called on investors to take up the arable land in the area.
He said it was Government’s desire to take services closer to the people and uplift their living standards.
Mr. Lusambo called for public private partnership to supplement Government efforts in fostering development by closing the gap between the urban and rural areas.
And Chieftainess Lesa of Mpongwe expressed happiness at the progress of the Mpongwe-Machiya road.
She lamented that the road had been in a poor state for a long time.
The traditional leader said farmers had for a long time complained over the poor state of the road which made it difficult for them to transport their produce to the market.
She expressed hope that works will be expedited and completed before the harvest season.
And United Party for National Development (UPND) area Member of Parliament Benjamin Chilufya said the Mpongwe- Machiya road was economically critical as it would connect the Copperbelt and Central provinces.
Copperbelt regional road engineer Ziko Banda said he was excited with the initiative by the farmers to conduct maintenance works on the road.
Government is set to spend K300 million for the upgrading of the road to bituminous standard through the Road Development Agency (RDA).
