Lusaka, Zambia - Government says it is hopeful that cooperating partners will soon start releasing money to the road sector following the suspension of donor funding.
Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said government has been negotiating with cooperating partners on the funding to the road sector after withholding the funds earlier this year.
Dr. Musokotwane said government has agreed on a road map with cooperating partners who he said have responded positively.
He said no money has however been released yet by cooperating partners to the road sector this year.
He has however clarified that cooperating partners only suspended funding to the road sector and not cancelled due to the mismanagement as indicated in the auditor general’s report.
Recently, the country’s Road Sector Cooperating Partners hailed government’s decision to dissolve the Boards of the Road Development Agency and the National Road Fund Agency.
The Cooperating Partners namely the World Bank, the European Union, Denmark , Germany , Japan
They stated that remedial measures arising from the recent Audit findings, together with a realistic, affordable and sustainable road sector investment programme (ROADSIP II), would pave way for the resumption of new road works which are still stalled.
Meanwhile, Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister, David Phiri said cooperating partners have pledged over K400 billion to the road sector this year.
He also said out of the K620 billion Cooperating Partners pledged last year only K105 billion was released to the National Road Funds Agency (NRFA)
He added that government however released 99 percent of the budgetary allocation to the sector last year.
"He was answering a question from Kanchibiya Member of Parliament Davies Mwango during the question for oral answer session in parliament today.
Mr. Mwango wanted to know how much money was released to NRFA last year and how much was released by cooperating partners.
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