Sun, 28 Jan 2018 09:20:02 +0000
…economic development can be achieved without debt
By ANNIE ZULU
ZAMBIA Air Force (ZAF) commander, Lieutenant-General Eric Chimese yesterday led Cabinet Ministers and Government officials to a tour of the Kingsland City Project, being undertaken by ZAF and Sun Share Group under a public private partnership (PPP) model in Lusaka’s Twinpalm area.
The US$1.4 billion upmarket project, which is expected to take three years to complete and covers 1,100 hectares, will comprise a five-star hotel, 3, 000 high-class villas and shopping mall.
Other amenities will include a private school, police station, hospital, children’s play-ground, and a glass bridge, Rose Street, where newly-weds can pose for photos.
Among the Ministers who toured the project were, Minister of Finance Felix Mutati, who is also PPP council chairperson, Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale and Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe.
Special Assistant for Projects Implementation and Monitoring at State House Andrew Chellah was also present.
Lt-Gen Chimese told the Ministers that ZAF did not want to completely rely on Government for some of its needs, hence the initiative to come up with the project.
He noted that running an air force was costly.
“We are demonstrating that we cannot just be cry-babies but supplement Government efforts. Instead of crying with a list of problems, we want to provide solutions and we have begun doing so by going into PPP using land as equity.
“Security is necessary for commerce. But you cannot buy jets or spares for planes on Cha Cha Cha (road). You need dollars,” Lt-Gen Chimese said.
He also said the project would have houses which some ZAF officers and soldiers would buy through mortgage so that they were not destitute once they retire.
Lt-Gen Chimese further mentioned that ZAF did not want projects that take decades to complete and had been working during the day and night in shifts.
And speaking on behalf of the Ministers, Mr Mutati commended Lt-Gen Chimese for his courage to break unchartered frontiers of engaging on a first of its kind PPP project that had so far created 400 jobs.
The Minister said ZAF had demonstrated that development could be achieved without incurring debts.
He said achieving the country’s development was not just about debts, but also about finding innovative ways of financing development.
“Indeed, today is a demonstration that the answer to development and job creation is not always debt. We need to look at innovative ways of financing development. Economic development now has to be financed using other innovations and not debt.
“Government is slowing down on debt. We think this innovative financing model is the answer to many of the challenges we face. We are now going to have a modern city,” Mr Mutati said.
He said the PPP council of ministers met a few days ago and agreed to look at ways to strengthen PPP and make it more transparent so it could be a useful instrument of development.
