BY ANDREW MUKOMA
VICE President Inonge Wina has commissioned the long awaited Intercity Bus Terminus and Ultramodern market in Livingstone, the Tourist Capital.
Speaking during the commissioning of the two facilities in Livingstone yesterday, Ms Wina said that the past ten (10) years, the Patriotic Front (PF)’s commitment to the people of Zambia as a party in leadership, has always been to change the face of Zambia’s infrastructure and make people’s lives better.
Ms Wina said the ruling party has been consistent on this and will continue to grow the economy through infrastructure projects and improved services across the country.
She said that Livingstone and other parts of Southern Province have not been left behind.
“Therefore, my coming to Livingstone is to also showcase the Patriotic Front party’s legacy in the area of infrastructure development,” she said.
“The city market and the intercity bus terminus befit this city’s landscape because it is indeed a tourist capital of Zambia which must have matching infrastructure that local and international tourists are comfortable with and expect in a tourist resort,” the vice president said.
Ms Wina said this is even more because Livingstone is very close to other neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, serving as a gateway to the region.
She added that the city market and intercity bus terminus will also complement the international airport and accommodate transiting people via Kazungula Bridge now that it is fully open for business.
“In turn, the market which has a variety of shops in terms of products and services, is adding to the value of the city while complimenting ease and comfortable travel ignited by the new bus terminus,” she said.
And the Vice President has charged that with the unmatched record by the Patriotic Front party, it is important to note that as the country heads to the polls on election day next week, President Edgar Changwa Lungu and the party deserve another five years.
She said this is so not only for the party to be able to complete more projects and the provision of quality services but to also embark on new ones as outlined in the manifesto leading up to 2026.
She further called for the need to have innovative ideas by working with the private sector and other wings of government such as the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) and the Zambia National Service (ZNS).
“The two infrastructure projects we are launching today is a clear demonstration of the hard work that has made the projects get completed, ready for use by the public.
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the NAPSA Board and management as well as the Zambia National Service command for the diligence that was applied in the construction and completion of the bus terminus project we are launching today,” Ms Wina said.
She further thanked the ministries of Labour and Social Services and the ministry of Local Government for supporting the Livingstone city council in undertaking such projects.
Speaking at the same event, NAPSA Board Chairperson Evans Chibiliti said that the commissioning of the two facilities is a culmination of successful partnership between the Ministry of Local government and the National Pension Scheme Authority.
Mr Chibiliti said that the authority’s decision to invest in the two projects was informed by its mandate to invest scheme members’ contributions into economically viable projects for the benefit of the members and the greater good of the Zambians citizens.
He said that the two facilities have been leased to the authority for a period of up to 14 years in order for the authority to recoup its investment to the tune of K42million.
Mr Chibiliti observed that the two projects are economically viable if the correct operating model of cashless is implemented.
“These facilities will be based on cashless model which will allow the marketeers and bus operators to build a credit profile for themselves,” he said.
He disclosed that the authority will make available in the two facilities a revolving pool of cheap capital which marketeers and bus operators will access without any collateral but simply be based on transaction records from their own trading activities.
Ministry of Local government permanent secretary Mathew Ngulube disclosed that the market was constructed at cost of more than K55.2 million while the bus terminus was done at a cost of more than K55.6 million.
Mr Ngulube expressed optimistic that the facilities will benefit the people of Livingstone.
