MINISTER of Infrastructure, Housing, and Urban Development Charles Milupi says the Government’s desire is to deliver all commercially viable infrastructure and Energy projects, and public services through Public Private Partnerships (PPP).
Speaking during the 4th Ordinary Session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure and Energy in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Mr Milupi said Government was leveraging partnerships with the private sector to reduce fiscal pressure and instead using the savings on projects of economic importance which are not commercially viable to attract private investment.
He said President Hakainde Hichilema, a proponent of PPPs, believes that engaging the private sector was a smart and sure way of delivering infrastructure projects owing to the efficiency and capacity to deliver projects on time.
Mr Milupi said despite the Government having inherited a huge debt burden from the previous Government, the Government has embarked on the construction and rehabilitation of some public roads and bridges using the Public Private Partnership financing model.
He cited the Chingola –Chililbombwe Road and the Lusaka Ndola dual carriage way as some major roads being done under PPP.
And in the Energy sector, the Minister said Zambia had implemented four projects using the Public Private Partnership model reiterating that the sector is attracting billions of dollars’ worth of investment.
The Minister reaffirmed Zambia’s Commitment to strengthening ties with neighboring countries in the delivery of quality infrastructure projects with a view to integrating the continent.
And The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa-UNECA – commended Zambia for being among the six countries in Africa that are successfully spearheading the initiative for Public Private Partnership in Infrastructure development.
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa- Chief Energy, Infrastructure and Services section of the Private Sector Development and Finance Division, Mr. Robert Lisinge commended Zambian for taking the lead and ensuring that infrastructure development is not left entirely in the hands of the Government.
According to First Secretary for Press and Tourism at the Zambian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Inutu Mwanza, the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Dr Amani Abou-Zeid urged Member states to support the Continental Programme for Infrastructure Development-PIDA- in Africa that promotes the development of priority regional and continental infrastructure in transport, energy, transboundary water, and ICT.
“The 4th Ordinary session was held under the theme Accelerating Infrastructure to deliver on Agenda 2063 Aspirations,” she said.
(Mwebantu, Monday, 18th September, 2023)