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Opposition All People’s Congress Party Leader, Nason Msoni, has questioned the new dawn government’s motive behind the signing of the 25 years concession agreement with Macro-Ocean Investment Consortium for the construction of the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway.
The government had clinched a US$ 577 million concession agreement deal with Macro-Ocean Investment Consortium for the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of 327 Kilometers Ndola-Lusaka Dual Carriage Way.
But Msoni says Macro-Ocean Investment Consortium will hold Zambia hostage for 25 years in which it will be collecting toll fees for the construction of the Lusaka to Ndola Dual carriage way despite the country having the capacity to raise its money to pay the contractor.
He said Zambia has capacity to raise its own money through minerals such as Sugilite whose benefits are only being felt by those in government instead of borrowing from the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA).
“Sometimes I fail to understand the reasoning of our friends who are given instruments of power. first there is an issue of Two Trucks carrying Sugilite that have vanished. One, we demand seriousness, surely if we have minerals which can give this country US$750million then we are capable of paying the contractor,” Msoni said.
He said government is lacking seriousness in managing the affairs of the country and is not governing to serve the interests for Zambians hence their reasoning to give the contractor 25 years to collect toll fees.
“We need to re-calibrate our reasoning if we are going to be relevant to the country and our people and our people are to take us serious. surely this country has capacity to collect its own funds without being held hostage by a consortium that will be collecting toll gates for 25 years,” Msoni said.
He also questioned whether government has interests in Macro-Ocean Investment Consortium because 25 years is too long a period to be given to a private entity to collect toll fees.
“We have tried to look at it holistically to see whether it is making sense but in totality we think that there is confusion, unless the interest is embedded in this thing they are calling a consortium,” Msoni said.
Contributed by Augustine Sichula
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