Govt to mobilise 7m kwacha for Chancery in Addis Abba, Ethiopia

Ronald Chitotela

Government says it will mobilize 7 million United States dollars to reconstruct the Zambian chancery and build staff houses in Addis abba, Ethiopia.

Minister of housing and infrastructure development Ronald Chitotela has expressed sadness that the chancery which was bought in the 1960s is completely dilapidated forcing Zambian embassy staff to abandon it and start renting another building.

Mr. Chitotela says he will engage his counterpart at the ministry of finance to see how quickly funding modalities can be resolved so that the building is reconstructed.

According to a statement released by ministry of Housing And Infrastructure Public Relations Officer Public Relations Officer Jeff Banda, Mr. Chitotela says this is because the Zambian embassy in Addis Ababa has managed to find a mortgage financing loan in that country.

And Zambian ambassador to Ethiopia Suzan Sikaneta says the embassy is currently spending 45 million us dollars on rentals per month for both office space and accommodation for embassy staff.

She says the chancery need to be reconstructed as soon as possible because the money is being spent on renting is a lot.

Meanwhile Mr. Chitotela has arrived in India to attend a confederation of Indian industry -Cii International Conference in new Delhi, India.

The biggest annual conference which is being held from March 25th to 27th has attracted the participation of presidents, vice presidents, ministers and senior government officials mainly from Africa.

Speaking on arrival in India, the cabinet minister says he is in India to sell Zambia’s infrastructure development agenda.

Mr. Chitotela says Zambia is ripe for credible investment in infrastructure development especially from countries such as India which are highly industrialized.

And Zambia’s high commissioner to India Judith kapijimpanga says the decision by the cabinet minister to attend the international conference is evidence that government is committed towards industrializing the country.

This is contained in a statement released by first secretary press and tourism at the Zambian mission in New Delhi, India, bangwe navilely.