K959m Kalabo-Angola border road contract signed

Wed, 14 Dec 2016 12:32:48 +0000

THE upgrading of the Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola border road worth K959,182,051 million will serve as an access point to the sea ports on the Atlantic Ocean and will help steer trade and commerce in the region, says Road Development Agency (RDA) acting chief executive officer Elias Mwape.

Mr Mwape said that the road project, to tar a stretch of 85 kilometres of gravel from Kalabo to the Angola border through Sikongo in Western Province, was a pivotal point of access to the sea ports on the Atlantic Ocean via Ninda and Luena in Angola to Lobito Bay and Luanda ports.

He said this in Lusaka yesterday after signing a contract with Stefanutti Stocks and Consolidated Contractors Company valued at K959,182, 051 for the construction of the Kalabo-Sikongo road, adding that it would help steer immense trade as well as business activities.

Mr Mwape said that the project would be executed within 24 months and its terms of reference included earth works, construction of pavement layers, surfacing of the carriageway and the construction of drainage and ancillary works.

‘‘The economic benefits to be realised from the construction of the Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola border road are immense, which centre on the opening of a frontier with Angola and improvement of communication between the two countries and thus enhancing regional trade and commerce.  ‘‘The road will serve as an access point to the sea ports on the Atlantic Ocean through Kalabo via Ninda and Luena in Angola and Luanda ports; this will support national efforts to stimulate economic growth in the area,’’ Mr Mwape said.

He said that the award as well as signing of the project would now complete the missing link of the Kalabo-Sikongo road following the construction as well as commissioning of the 34 km section of the Mongu-Kalabo road between Mongu and Tapo.

Mr Mwape explained that the full economic benefit of the Mongu-Kalabo road would be realized following the upgrade of the Kalabo-Sikongo-Angola border road.

He said that the road would also provide easy movement of the local people to schools, clinics, markets and for inputs.

The agency cautioned the contractor as well as supervising engineers to deliver the road to the prescribed standard as well as quality, given the challenging terrain in which the road would be built.

And Stefanutti director Watson Ng’ambi assured the RDA that they would carry out the project accordingly.

The contract is jointly financed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Saudi Fund for Development and the Government of Zambia.