…Ronald Chitotela warns Zambia will lose in excess of K750 million when Macro Ocean Investment Consortium takes over toll gates at the commencement of the 327-kilometre Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway rehabilitation project
By NATION REPORTER
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FORMER Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Ronald Chitotela says government will lose in excess of K750 million in the construction of the 327-kilometre Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway when Macro Ocean Investment Consortium takes over the operation of the tollgates at the commencement of the project.
Mr Chitotela said Government should disclose when the concessionaire in the construction of the Lusaka Ndola dual carriageway under Private Public Partnership (PPP) would take over the tollgates.
He said Government would lose in excess of K750 million when Macro Ocean Investment Consortium takes over the toll gates at the beginning of the project.
Mr Chitotela said Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway generates K25 million per month through toll fees and that the concessionaire would collect over K750 million from the toll gates during the three years construction period.
“This is the rationale why during our time, we refused to go the PPP way because of the risks of losing money that were involved,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Chitotela who is also Pambashe Member of Parliament, said the Patriotic Front had received information that AVIC International was not part of the Macro Ocean Investment Consortium that was engaged to construct the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway.
He said AVIC International was just contracted by Macro Ocean Investment Consortium to construct the road. Mr Chitotela AVIC International was demanding payment for the civil works and later handover the road to Macro Ocean Investment Consortium, which would manage the road.
Mr Chitotela challenged Government to disclose the true owners of Macro Ocean Investment Consortium because people were given the impression that AVIC International was part of the consortium. He said there were a lot of hidden parts regarding the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway PPP project, which Government needed to clarify before commencement of the works.
Mr Chitotela said Zambia could not afford to have a consortium that borrows money from the locals to construct the road and yield huge profits.
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