• The Ministry has procured 22 performance based contracts worth K120 million.
• 166 contracts have been procured under 6,390 kilometers valued all at K8.71 billion.
• The Ministry will enhance programs such as the National Feeder Road Program.

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development has pledged to enhance local contractor participation for all road projects so as to create employment and economic growth.
Speaking in Parliament, Garry Nkombo disclosed that the Ministry has since procured 22 performance based contracts worth K120 million for the period 2020 to 2023 covering about 1, 000 kilometers in Lusaka.
Mr. Nkombo said the Ministry will ensure adequate participation of the local contractors on the feeder road project as a deliberate policy to empower Zambians.
“Rehabilitation and maintenance of township roads and feeder roads is one of the key strategies that the Ministry leverages upon to facilitate socio-economic development to improve standards of living of our people. We are working to enhance local contractor participation for all road projects to create employment and growth of the local economy,” Mr. Nkombo said.
He further stated that currently, 166 contracts have been procured under 6, 390 kilometers valued at K8.71 billion, bringing the total number of ongoing contracts to 211.
“The Feeder road network is the country’s approximately 14, 333 kilometers, 82 percent of which is very deplorable. My Ministry will therefore enhance programs such as the National Feeder Road Program in order to improve accessibility, mobility and connectivity to the agricultural sites and economic facilities in the rural areas.”
“Currently, a total number of 166 contracts have been procured under 6,390 kilometers valued all at K8.71 Billion. This brings the cumulative total number of ongoing contracts to 211contracts covering 8, 650 kilometers in various districts across the country with total contract value of K11.6 billion,” he stated.
And Mr. Nkombo revealed that the World Bank is facilitating the ongoing capacity building of local authorities at a cost of 200 million US dollars under the improved rural connectivity program.
He also disclosed that the Ministry will institutionalize the National Market and bus station development fund for enhanced management and infrastructure development.
“Our focus is to restore markets and bus stations as facilities that will provide adequate services and provide a platform for trading and transportation for our citizens.”
“In this regard, my Ministry will institutionalize the national market and bus station development fund for enhanced management and infrastructure development in the facilities. Management committees will be created to run affairs of markets and bus stations in line with the markets and bus station Act number 7 of 2007,” Mr. Nkombo assured.