Govt to construct 5,000 houses for civil servants

Ronald Chitotela

Ronald Chitotela

Infrastructure and Housing Minister Ronald Chitotela says Government has earmarked to build 5,000 houses for civil servants starting from the second quarter of this year.

This follows a directive by President Edgar Lungu to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing to build houses for civil servants and upgrade most of the unplanned settlements across the country.

Mr. Chitotela says following the recent Census Report which has projected a housing deficit of over 1.5 million, President Lungu has emphasized that while the Government is doing a lot in implementing road projects across the country, there is need for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing to strike a balance in the implementation of projects in the construction sector.

Mr. Chitotela says Government will also upgrade areas like Chawama, Misisi, Kuku, Chibolya and Kanyama compounds to decent housing units with access to safe and clean drinking water.

He says the project will then spread to other provinces of the country.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing said this when he arrived in Washington D.C. where is scheduled to attend meetings on infrastructure development of the housing units project following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in August last year with Mercury Asset Partners, a global financing, and logistics company.

Zambia’s Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula, welcomed the delegation at Dulles International airport on Monday, January 15, 2018.

Mr. Chitotela further says Mercury Asset Partners has also proposed to establish a Construction Bank in Zambia to support the sector.

He says the opening of the Bank will empower Zambian contractors facing financing challenges in implementing construction projects in the country.

And Mercury Asset Partners, founder, and co-director Julie Bwalya has disclosed that a US$ 600 million financing has been proposed to undertake the construction of 5,000 low, medium and high-cost housing units for civil servants in Zambia.

Ms. Bwalya further noted that Mercury Asset Partners is also investing in the energy sector under the Multi-Facility Economic Zone in Lusaka South to set up a factory plant of solar water heaters in Zambia.

This is contained in a statement issued to QTV News by Embassy of the Republic of Zambia
Washington DC First Secretary-Press and Public Relations Cosmas Chileshe.

 

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