By JOWIT SALUSEKI –
A GOOD road network is an engine that can help foster development in any country.
Goods and services can move to and from an area where quality roads exist.
For many years, the people of North-Western Province have been crying to successive governments to work on the Mwinilunga-Jimbe Road which has been in a deplorable state.
The traditional leadership in the area led by Senior Chief Kanong’esha, and the residents of Mwinilunga in particular, did not relent on calling on the State to work on this significant road which connects Zambia to neighbouring Angola.
Equally, Chief Kakoma of the Lunda people of Mwinilunga lamented to this author during a recent interaction on how deplorable the road, which subsequently branches off to connect to his palace, had been neglected.
Cross-border traders who also conduct their trade between the two brotherly nations constantly raised concerns on the poor state of the road which has developed deep potholes.
Motorists, too, complained about the colossal sums of money they were spending on repairing their vehicles owing to the poor state of the road while commuters were accustomed to paying high transport fares for a distance covering less than 120 kilometres to enter Angola.
Thus the people of North-Western Province and the nation at large have something to smile about concerning the historical ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of upgrading the Mwnilunga-Jimbe Road by President Edgar Lungu.
It is worth noting that Angola and Zambia have excellent relations of cooperation in the bilateral framework and within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The relations cover political and diplomatic areas, defense and security, transport, education, health, agriculture, trade, mining and oil, among other sectors.
Therefore, the 100 kilometres road which will be built by Freca Limited at a cost of US$105 million would impact positively on agriculture, tourism, mining and other economic sectors.
The road, which would also link Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) would undoubtedly spur trade between the two countries, create employment opportunities and ease the transportation of goods and services to and from North Western Province.
President Lungu acknowledged that the road project had been on the drawing board for many years.
Mr Lungu said the Government had priotised the construction and rehabilitation of roads and other key infrastructure countrywide because they were key to the development of the nation.
“Our desire to improve the state of the roads is based on the firm belief that roads are a catalyst for national development,” he said.
The head of State said without roads, people could not talk or boast about the development of other economic sectors such as tourism, agriculture, trade and commerce.
True to the words of President Lungu, Zambia early this year signed a bilateral trade agreement with Angola to increase trade between the two countries which currently stands at US$8 million in exports and US$175,000 in imports.
The bilateral trade agreement will exempt some products from customs duty.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Margaret Mwanakatwe, who signed for the Zambian Government, said that the bilateral trade agreement will have a positive impact on the diversification programmes being pursued by the two countries.
Ms Mwanakatwe said the agreement was designed to facilitate the expansion of trade between the two countries and further strengthen economic and political ties.
Speaking in Luanda during the signing ceremony, the minister said in synergies between trade and investment promotion will be critical to harness the benefits associated with the implementation of the bilateral trade agreement.
She urged Zambian exporters to take advantage of the trade agreement and the Angolan market by ensuring that their goods meet international standards. She urged the exporters to work with the Zambia Bureau of Standards.
“The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) will be on hand to provide any facilitation the exporters would require to access the Angolan market,” Ms Mwanakatwe said.
Angola’s Minister of Commerce Rosa Escorcio Pacavira De Matos said the agreement will enhance trade, improve market transactions and the movement of people and goods.
Ms De Matos said the agreement will also foster public and private investments between the two countries.
The agreement is intended to make Angola one of Zambia’s largest export markets and further create an opportunity for investment, competition and innovation for the private sector, thus, enhance job and wealth creation in areas like agriculture, tourism, energy and construction.
The trade agreement has provided a list of products that will be exempted from custom duty.
The agreement aims to further compliment other initiatives such as the development of the Lobito Corridor, which is aimed at renewal of the Benguela Railway Line which was commissioned last year.
The two countries also cooperate in the framework of the International Conference on the Great Lakes (CIGL), a political-diplomatic platform that is essentially aimed at pacifying the conflicts in this region of the Africa.
Recently, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) adopted a resolution paving the way for Angola to be promoted from a low to middle income country by 2020.
This resolution was cause for celebration by the Angola government because it is an international endorsement of its stewardship of the country.
From 2003 to 2013, Angola’s oil revenues reached over US$450 billion, according to Angolan economic estimates.
The country has for a decade been ranked among the ten fastest growing economies in the world, a move which can enable Zambia to tap into more economical investments in that country.
Commenting on the upgrading of Mwinilunga-Jimbe road, former freedom fighter William Kamwana said the people of Mwinilunga were elated with the State for embarking on the construction of the road to bituminous standard.
“The Government deserves commendation for the two projects being the Mwinilunga-Jimbe road as well as the connection of Mwinilunga District to the national electricity grid as it will motivate local people to engage in business with Angola,” Mr Kamwana said.
With power utility firm Zesco set to connect Mwinilunga to the national power grid by August this year, coupled with the upgrading of the Mwinilunga-Jimbe Road, the people of the once ‘forgotten’ province will definitely wear a smile on their faces for many years to come.