GOVERNMENT HAS CONFIRMED CONCESSIONING THE LUSAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND HAS SINCE URGED THE GENERAL ZAMBIANS TO IGNORE SENTIMENTS FROM CERTAIN QUARTERS WHICH HAVE DESTRUCTIVE TENDENCIES ON MOST OF ITS DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS.
MEANWHILE IN ITS ASSURANCE MESSAGE, GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WILL MONITOR THE CONCESSIONING PROCESS TO GUARANTEE THAT APART FROM THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS TO BE DEVELOPED, NEW JOBS MUST BE CREATED.
THIS IS CONTAINED IN A JOINT STATEMENT SIGNED BY THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING, DR. SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE AND THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT, PROFFESSOR GEOFFREY LUNGWANGWA ON THE CONCESSIONING OF THE LUSAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND AVAILED TO RADIO PHOENIX TODAY.
GOVERNMENT HAS STATED THAT IT IS AWARE THAT THERE ARE SOME MINORITY GROUPS THAT ARE UNDER PRESSURE TO BE SEEN AS CHAMPIONS OF PUBLIC INTEREST; HENCE THEIR TENDENCY TO SAY SOMETHING ON EVERYTHING THAT GOVERNMENT DOES HENCE IT IS CARDINAL THAT THE NATION IGNORES THEM.
THE TWO MINISTRIES HAVE STRESSED THAT GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE ZAMBIANS DILIGENTLY AND THIS WILL REMAIN TOP PRIORITY IN ALL THE AREAS OF ITS ECONOMIC ENDEAVOUR.
PROFESSOR LUNGWANGWA AND DR MUSOKOTWANE FURTHER SAYS THE DESTRUCTIVE TENDENCIES OF THE MINORITY GROUPS WILL NOT DERAIL GOVERNMENTS FOCUS IN PURSUING ITS MANDATE OF SPEARHEADING DEVELOPMENT AT ALL TIMES.
THE JOINT STATEMENT FURTHER SAYS GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THAT THE LUSAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT FOR DOING BUSINESS IN ZAMBIA; HENCE IT IS ITS DESIRE TO REMODEL IT THROUGH A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP CONCESSION.
THE STATEMENT FURTHER EXPLAINS THAT MANY GOVERNMENTS IN WESTERN EUROPE, SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, NUMEROUS IN ASIA AND A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD HAVE CONCESSIONED THEIR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS TO ATTRACT MASSIVE PRIVATE INVESTMENTS AND GENERATE EMPLOYMENT AND OTHER ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES.
ON FIRST JULY 2011, THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING DR MUSOKOTWANE REVEALED THAT GOVERNMENT OPENED UP NEGOTIATIONS FOR CONCESSIONING OF THE LUSAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MEANING THAT GOVERNMENT WAS LOOKING AT POSSIBILITIES OF HAVING THE LUSAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT EXPANDED USING PRIVATE SECTOR MONEY, EXPERTISE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWFUL PROCEDURE AND AUTHORISED PROVISIONS STIPULATED IN THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ACT NUMBER 14 OF 2009.
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