Thu, 13 Jul 2017 11:04:50 +0000
By MUKOSELA KASALWE
GOVERNMENT is losing K 50,000 per day in revenue collection following the closure of Lusaka City Market and it will take at least 12 months for the market to be operational again, says Minister of Local Government Vincent Mwale.
Mr. Mwale said Government was determined to build a new mordern market at the Lusaka city market which would accommodate five times the number of marketeers with a bigger bus station and better facilities.
In a ministerial statement to Parliament, the minister said the plan of action for rebuilding better markets was underway and that preliminary indicators had shown that U$20 million would be required for city market.
Mr. Mwale who is Patriotic Front Chipangali Member of Parliament said the required timeframe for rebuilding city market would be at least 12 months. The minister said it was sad that the country had experienced a series of fires in various places mainly to suspected acts of arson and sabotage on national installations such as ZESCO power lines and substations.
Mr. Mwale said the over 10 cases of arson and sabotage the country has recorded since last August, were not accidental but calculated and planned events meant to destroy the valuable properties and affect many ordinary Zambians.
He said the market would remain closed to the general public until investigations were concluded and that the Lusaka City Council alone would lose K50,000 per day on revenue collection until the market was operational.
” Lusaka City Council alone will be losing K 50,000 per day on revenue collection for the period the market will be out of operation.
“Preliminary indicators show that we may require up to U$20 million dollars for this project. The considered timeframe for rebuilding this market is at least 12 months,” he said. Mr Mwale said the Committee of Ministers headed by Vice President Inonge Wina, which President Edgar Lungu appointed to look into the issue of the markets gutted by fires around the country, had made progress on their mandate and that the nation would be informed periodically.
He said Government through his ministry had acquired 42 firefighting engines valued at U$42 milion dollars for all major districts to safeguard people’s economic activities against fires.
The parliamentarian said security camera system would be installed in all the markets to curb unscrupulous dealings by individuals with bad intentions. Mr Mwale said Mrs Wina with her team of Committee of Ministers would tomorrow hold a breakfast launch at Government Complex aimed at raising funds for the victims of the gutted city market.
He has urged business houses and well-wishers to attend the event and render their generous support to the good cause.
