By CLEVER ZULU  –

THE Rural Electrification Authority (REA) has threatened to terminate the contract for the construction of the Luampa power substation in Luampa District in Western Province.
REA Board chairperson Professor Jorry Mwenechanya said the project had continued to delay leaving REA with no option but to terminate the contract.
“The project was started in 2012 but its taking a lot of time to complete, we now just have to terminate the contract,” he said.
Professor Mwenechanya was speaking in Luampa District last weekend during the tour of the K8 million project being worked on by Earthrow engineering limited.
The project to put up a 2.5MVA 66/33/11 KV transformer is expected to finish early next year and supply power to the newly created Luampa District, where power lines have already been installed.
But Earthrow Engineering foreman for the project Evan Mwansa said the engineers from REA were causing the delay for the project because it took a lot of time for them to inspect and give a go ahead for the project.
“Right now we are waiting for REA engineers to give us a go ahead to pour concrete in the columns but they are delaying to come and give us a go ahead,” he said.
Mr Mwansa also lamented the lack of water near the construction site.
“We fetch water from 5 kilometres away because the borehole nearby dried up,” he said.
But progress on the Nkeyema Power Station has impressed the authority with acting chief executive officer Victor Mapani describing the project well-done.
Mr Mapani said the Nkeyema Power Station would benefit approximately 600 farmers from Kaoma to TBZ in the area.
“This project was funded by the European Union (EU) but it has taken long to finish though we will be commissioning it by the end of October this year,” he said.
REA has also installed 50 transformers in the area to cater for schools, households and the farm blocks in the newly created Nkeyema District.
The project, undertaken by Eltech Engineering, cost a total of K 8 million for the Mumbwa, TBZ and Kaoma connections.