ROAD infrastructure is a very important public asset. Society relies on a good road system as the basis to access jobs, healthcare, education and social connections.
It is a crucial element in the development of a community on a localised level and a country’s economic growth nationally and globally.
A good road network makes a critical contribution to economic development and brings imperative social benefits. Roads are of vital importance in any country’s growth and development.
In addition, providing access to employment, social, health and education services makes a road network key in fighting against poverty.
Roads open up more areas and stimulate economic and social development. For those reasons, road infrastructure can safely be said to be the most important of all public assets.
In Zambia, good roads are considered to be of paramount significance and major contributors to the country’s economic growth and development.
Based on the importance of roads, Government has been spending colossal sums of money on maintaining roads and constructing new ones as the country’s population surges alongside economic activities.
Unfortunately, the country has had issues with some contractors and consultants that Government engaged in the past but their road works left much to be desired.
Due to sub-standard construction and maintenance works, most roads done by some contractors and consultants have not been standing the test of time – they have been wearing out a few years after their construction.
It is against this backdrop that the New Dawn administration will not entertain contractors and consultants that do shoddy road works.
Yesterday, Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Charles Milupi cautioned contractors and consultants against doing sub[1]standard road works because Government will not condone such conduct.
“A road is constructed at well over US$1 million per kilometre [but] within three, four, five years, it begins to fail very badly.
“I wish to state that Government, under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema, will not tolerate sub-standard works by some contractors and consultants,” he stated.
Mr Milupi is right to warn against sub-standard works because Government spends huge sums of money on building and maintaining roads and, as such, expects durable road infrastructure.
Surely, Government cannot continue spending millions of Kwacha on rebuilding the same roads every other year when the funds can be channelled to other needy areas.
Government has many competing needs to attend to, such as procurement of medicines and financing free education. It cannot, therefore, afford to be spending money on same projects instead of embarking on new ones.
We urge the Road Development Agency and the National Council for Construction to closely monitor contractors and consultants so that if they are found doing sub-standard road works, remedial measures are immediately taken.
The country needs good roads because they offer a dependable route for movement of goods and services from one place to the other.
Lack of good road infrastructure can also be a disincentive to both local and foreign investors in our country.
Also, a deplorable road network is a recipe for vehicular accidents. With bad roads, accidents keep increasing day in, day out with the adverse effect on the lives of their users and the country at large.
It is, therefore, important that road contractors and consultants take Mr Milupi’s caution very seriously because failure to do so will result in regrettable consequences.
Zambia needs quality roads
ROAD infrastructure is a very important public asset. Society relies on a good road system as the basis to access jobs, healthcare, education and social connections.
It is a crucial element in the development of a community on a localised level and a country’s economic growth nationally and globally.
A good road network makes a critical contribution to economic development and brings imperative social benefits. Roads are of vital importance in any country’s growth and development.
In addition, providing access to employment, social, health and education services makes a road network key in fighting against poverty.
Roads open up more areas and stimulate economic and social development. For those reasons, road infrastructure can safely be said to be the most important of all public assets.
In Zambia, good roads are considered to be of paramount significance and major contributors to the country’s economic growth and development.
Based on the importance of roads, Government has been spending colossal sums of money on maintaining roads and constructing new ones as the country’s population surges alongside economic activities.
Unfortunately, the country has had issues with some contractors and consultants that Government engaged in the past but their road works left much to be desired.
Due to sub-standard construction and maintenance works, most roads done by some contractors and consultants have not been standing the test of time – they have been wearing out a few years after their construction.
It is against this backdrop that the New Dawn administration will not entertain contractors and consultants that do shoddy road works.
Yesterday, Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Charles Milupi cautioned contractors and consultants against doing sub[1]standard road works because Government will not condone such conduct.
“A road is constructed at well over US$1 million per kilometre [but] within three, four, five years, it begins to fail very badly.
“I wish to state that Government, under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema, will not tolerate sub-standard works by some contractors and consultants,” he stated.
Mr Milupi is right to warn against sub-standard works because Government spends huge sums of money on building and maintaining roads and, as such, expects durable road infrastructure.
Surely, Government cannot continue spending millions of Kwacha on rebuilding the same roads every other year when the funds can be channelled to other needy areas.
Government has many competing needs to attend to, such as procurement of medicines and financing free education. It cannot, therefore, afford to be spending money on same projects instead of embarking on new ones.
We urge the Road Development Agency and the National Council for Construction to closely monitor contractors and consultants so that if they are found doing sub-standard road works, remedial measures are immediately taken.
The country needs good roads because they offer a dependable route for movement of goods and services from one place to the other.
Lack of good road infrastructure can also be a disincentive to both local and foreign investors in our country.
Also, a deplorable road network is a recipe for vehicular accidents. With bad roads, accidents keep increasing day in, day out with the adverse effect on the lives of their users and the country at large.
It is, therefore, important that road contractors and consultants take Mr Milupi’s caution very seriously because failure to do so will result in regrettable consequences.