Works and Supply Minister Felix Mutati has projected that North Western Province will surpass one of the top two provinces in taxes contributions (Lusaka and Copperbelt) due to the infrastructure development which is slowly taking shape in the Province.
Responding to North Western Province Permanent Secretary Ephraim Mateyo who updated the Minister on the number of developmental projects which are near completion and those that have been completed after he paid a courtesy call on the Provincial Administration in Solwezi on Saturday, Mutati said the infrastructure which is being put up in the Province will not only improve service delivery in the province but add to the country’s confers.
He explained that the efficiency that will be created by the Chingola-Solwezi Road will translate itself in the acceleration of cash follows for the mining sector in North Western Province thereby contribute to the country’s economy as mines will not only boost production but be able to pay their royalties sooner rather than later.
“We are quiet happy with your leadership in the various development projects that are happening in North Western Province in particular your stubborn leadership in ensuring that road from Solwezi to Chingola is worked on at a faster pace including the role you played in ensuring that North Western Province is connected to the national grid and I think you deserve the title of Grand Commander of Distinguished Services.
“And I think that when we talk about growing the economy, when we talk about turning the wheels of GDP including creating jobs including diversifing the economy it is by investing in solid infrastructure. The efficiency that will be created by the Chingola-Solwezi Road will translate itself in the acceleration of cash flows for our colleagues in the mining sector here in North Western Province and therefore we will be able to collect our royalties a little sooner rather than later and I think it is a motivation also to the mining sector to boost their production.
“So as Government we shall invest in infrastructure, we are trying to walk on that path to realise vision 2030 and I think North Western remains the new hub of economic activity and I dare say that in terms of contribution to taxes apart from the Copperbelt and Lusaka North Western is the biggest contributer to the treasury and I think very soon it will over take one of these two provinces because of the infrastructure being worked on,” said Mutati.
And Mutati commended the provincial administration for ensuring that government motor vehicles were not being abused.
“I also want to take a leaf from you PS that you can’t have a system without controls and the reason we have come here is very simple that we need to re-enforce the control mechanisms that you are already putting in place, the control mechanism that we have been pleased with in this province particularly in terms of minimising the abuse in terms of use of government motor vehicles.
“This Province has registered progress even before we visited them through your leadership this programme had already started and effectively so. You have put in place control mechanisms to ensure that the little resource that we generate as an economy is prudently applied,” he said
Earlier the provincial PS reported that only 10 Kilometres of the Solwezi-Chingola road was remaining which is earmarked for completion at the monthend of July 2018 and that all the districts in the province have now been connected to the national grid among many tangible developments in the Province.
