• Luanshya Municipal Council has launched the issuance of occupancy licenses to residents.
• 341 occupancy licenses will be issued in the first phase and an additional more than 500 in the second phase.
• Issuance of the legally binding documents comes with a lot of benefits.

Luanshya Mayor has disclosed that 341 occupancy licenses will be issued to residents of the mining town in the first phase and an additional more than 500 in the second phase.
Speaking during the launch of the issuance of licenses by Luanshya Municipal Council, Nathan Chanda said the local authority is committed under the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) to see to it that settlement areas are upgraded in order to improve residents’ living conditions.
Mr. Chanda stated that once informal areas are fully upgraded, there will be changes in the economic and social status of residents and the country at large.
He noted that the issuance of the legally binding documents comes with a lot of benefits that include collateral one can use to get a loan from any lending institution and also provides a lifetime empowerment to the residents by the local authority that will result in increased revenue base which will lead to enhanced service delivery.
“Government repealed the Town and Planning Act Chapter 283 of the Laws of Zambia and replaced it with the Urban and Region Planning Act No. 3 of 2015 which provides for the issuance of occupancy licenses by local authorities for a period of 30 years with a provision of renewal.”
“Apart from Fisenge, the issuance of occupancy licenses will also be extended to other settlement areas namely Kamuchanga, Mwaiseni, Buntungwa and Misaka among others,” Mr. Chanda said.
He further stated that residents in settlement areas had in the past experienced land ownership encumbrance due to undesignated settlements.
“I am pleased that such challenges in securing land tenure would now be a thing of the past. Residents must ensure that they follow the correct procedure when acquiring land in the district.”
And Mr. Chanda commended Luanshya Deputy Mayor Golden Mulenga, Ward Councilors and the Council management for their hard work and team spirit, which played a crucial role in transforming the Council from a financially struggling local authority to a formidable and revived one.
He said it is gratifying to note that the Council is now able to pay its employees on a monthly basis, and recently procured earth moving equipment and Global Positioning System (GPS) at a cost of K290, 000.