IF ANYONE still doubts Government’s resolve to positively transform Zambia through meaningful infrastructure development, then such people just have a misplaced way of thinking.
Even the most rigid critics of Government on development should surely admit that there is unprecedented infrastructure development and the benefits are for all.
Those that continue to search for reasons for questioning Government have been pointing to areas that are still in need for infrastructure development.
Such critics know that development is an ongoing process. Not every part of the country can be transformed overnight. Even countries with huge budgets cannot do that.
What must be appreciated is that Zambia, under the current administration, is making speedy progress that gives hope to Zambians that sooner rather than later, more citizens will be benefiting from Government’s foresight.
Lusaka is a case in point. Even the critics are fully benefiting from the infrastructure development highlighted by the many roads that have been given a major facelift.
But as President Edgar Lungu stated yesterday, the plan and efforts are for every part of the country – leaving no one behind.
This just had to be done. Zambia’s population has been increasing fairly fast, and so has the migration of people to Lusaka to seek greener pastures, which include jobs, education, shelter and health.
The increase in population in Lusaka and other cities has resulted in more motor vehicles on the roads. Until now, there hasn’t quite been a corresponding increase in the capacities of the roads.
Congestion on the roads has had a negative impact on productivity and economic growth.
This prompted Government to walk the talk of decongesting the roads by developing urban roads. This gave birth to projects such as the Lusaka Decongestion and Copperbelt (C400) road rehabilitation projects.
The Lusaka Decongestion Project has gained momentum. There is ample evidence that this is done and the easing of traffic on the roads is being felt.
Yesterday, the country yet again witnessed another milestone in infrastructure development with the commissioning of the Munali flyover bridge on the Great East Road.
The Munali flyover bridge, the third in the series after the one at Makeni-Cosmopolitan malls on the Kafue road and at Arcades, is part of the ambitious Lusaka decongestion project.
The three flyover bridges commissioned so far are part of the unprecedented infrastructure development Government has delivered to the people of Zambia.
Citizens will continue to benefit from infrastructure development as it will ease their lives.
For instance, the Lusaka decongestion project will help in the free flow of traffic, meaning that motorists will spend very little time on the roads.
The time motorists spent on the roads will be invested in productivity and contribute to economic development of the country.
Seamless flow of traffic in Lusaka, the country’s economic hub, means that business transactions will be taking far much faster as goods and services will be moved quicker.
Besides the decongestion of the capital city, the massive development of infrastructure is also adding the aesthetic value to the greater city of Lusaka.
Beyond adding to the aesthetic value of the city, infrastructure projects such as the flyover bridges, road construction and rehabilitation are helping unlock the economic potential of the country and transform its socio-economic landscape.
For instance, a lot of direct and indirect jobs are created during the construction phase. Businesses in the supply chain benefit, thereby enabling families to earn an income and sustain their lives.
There is also skills transfer from expatriate engineers who have been in the trade for a long time to local engineers and sub-contractors who will continue undertaking the jobs.
President Lungu assured during the commissioning of the Munali flyover bridge that the goal of his Government is to increase economic prospects for all Zambians.
Contractors doing works in Lusaka should heed President Lungu’s advice to expedite progress by ensuring that they complete them on time to allow for more of such projects to be done in other parts of our country.
Government is in a hurry to take the massive infrastructure development programme to other parts of the country so that all Zambians can partake in the transformed face of Zambia.