By XAVIER MANCHISHI –
THE National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) has provided K5.4 billion for road infrastructure development and road transport services for the fiscal year January 1, to December 31, 2015.
The NRFA and other stakeholders are complimenting Government’s vision of opening up the country through an effective road network by allocating the K5.4 billion towards the completion of on-going projects under the Link Zambia 8000, Pave Zambia 2000, Lusaka 400 and other annual work plan related projects across the ten provinces.
The Road Development Agency has been allocated with K4.9 billion, Road Transport and Safety Agency K205 million, Local Road Authorities through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, K259 million and financing of capacity building programmes under the National Council for Construction (NCC) pegged at K8 million.
NFRA spokesperson Alphonsius Hamachila said in a statement that this year, the NRFA has disbursed over K600 million for road projects and related activities across the country.
Out of the K5.4 billion, Zambia’s cooperating partners are, through loans and grants, contributing 41 per cent  to the road sector budget, with Government providing 34 per cent of the funding.
Fuel levy and other road user charges such as toll fees, international transit fees, road tax, weigh bridge fees and fines would cap it up with 25 per cent of the total revenue.
Mr Hamachila said given the importance of the road sector to the economy, the implementation of the Road Sector annual work plan and budget for 2015 would correspond to Government’s policy direction of transforming Zambia from a landlocked to a land-linked country.
Muchinga Province has an allocation of K674 million with some of the road projects to be funded under the budget line including the upgrading and re-alignment of the Great North Road at Matumbo to Luangwa.
Others works include the upgrading and re-alignment of the Muyombe junction to Chama Road and from Chama to Luangwa River including 12km of urban roads in Chama and the upgrading and realignment to bituminous standard of Safwa to Mulilansolo Road, among other projects.
Western Province has been allocated K638 million which will go towards the Sioma Bridge construction and supervision, feasibility and detailed designs and tender documents for the Limulunga-Lukulu Road, Matebele -Shangombo Road and other projects.
Lusaka Province has K632 million earmarked for the upgrading of the Leopards Hill Road from Katoba to Chiwa, detailed design and Supervision for Zambezi and rehabilitation of all roads under Lusaka 400.
A total of K626 million has been allocated to Northern Province, K623 million for North Western, Southern got K582 million, K510 million for Luapula, Copperbelt, K410 million Eastern while the Central province has received K210 million.
“The NRFA, which has fiduciary oversight on all road sector finances will upscale monitoring and evaluation activities to promote value-for-money on road projects,” Mr Hamachila said.