By NORMA SIAME –

MANSA Municipal Council has entered into a US$400,000 joint venture with Camland Constructions to help expand its shrinking revenue base.
Town Clerk Davies Bwalya made the announcement at a full council meeting highlighting the plan of expanding its sources of revenue.
“In a bid to find other sources of revenue, management brainstormed the idea of venturing into the project of block making and quarrying in view of the imminent market for stones in road construction and blocks for residential and commercial structures,” Mr Bwalya said.
The cost of equipment and other overhead requirements required for the project are beyond the council’s financial capacity.
To get around the hurdle, management approached CAMCO Equipment which supplied stone crushing and block making machinery to enter into a business deal.
“At the meeting between the two parties, it was agreed the council will provide a site where the project would be based and Camaland, a sister company of CAMCO, will provide equipment, construction of houses and offices and provide technical staff to run the project,” he said.
An initial proposed profit sharing agreement would see Camland pocket 85 per cent investment and the council 15 per cent.
The rationale behind the agreement was to allow Camland recoup what would be their initial investment.
Thereafter, when the council has finalised the Public Private Partnership arrangement with the Ministry of Finance, the shares would be reviewed at 60 and 40 per cent, respectively.