CARITAS Commends  ZESCO for Electrifying North West

Sat, 08 Jul 2017 13:16:24 +0000

By JACKSON MAPAPAYI

 CARITAS Solwezi has commended ZESCO for connecting the entire North Western Province to the national electricity grid.

Many districts in North Western Province relied on generators for power which made the electricity firm to ration supply as a way of reducing high costs on diesel.

CARITAS coordinator John Kalusa told the Daily Nation in an interview that the move to electrify the region would spur development by attracting investors. This would in turn create job opportunities.

He, however, said the region needed credible investors that would operate within the confines of the Zambian laws.

Mr Kalusa said it is sad that some investors did not pay taxes to government hence the need to put strict measures to ensure that they did not exploit the local people.

‘’We want to commend the power utility company for its efforts to electrify the region. This is good and should be commended by all well-meaning Zambians because this project would come with its own benefits such as investors investing in various sectors of the economy.

‘’However, we are looking for investors that can follow the laws of Zambia, abide by the laws of Zambia by paying all the necessary legal requirements such as taxes and fees  required,” he said.

Mr Kalusa said the province had already started receiving investors hoping that the lives of the local communities would be improved.

The electrification project has been implemented at a total cost of US$163 million with financing from the Swedish Export Credit Corporation and Standard Bank of South Africa.