…..financing packages are attractive
Vienna, January 10, 2019
Zambia’s Ambassador to Germany His Excellency Anthony Mukwita has invited the Austrian Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology to work together with the Zambian Ministry of Infrastructure.
Ambassador Mukwita, who is also accredited to Austria on a non-residential basis, made the invitation when he called on Mr. Andreas Reichhardt, Secretary General in the Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology.
The Zambian envoy, who was in Austria to present credentials to His Excellency President Alexander Van der Bellen, an economics professor, said Zambia has embarked on a countrywide building and rehabilitation of infrastructure.
“I am aware of your attractive financing packages that include long term repayment terms that sometimes range from 14 to 26 years with extremely low and in some instances zero interest rates”, Ambassador Mukwita said.
The Zambian senior diplomat said such financing packages were the kind Zambia needed as the country seeks more cost-effective ways of meeting its public infrastructure requirements.
In his remarks, Mr. Reichhardt told Ambassador Mukwita that his Ministry was ready to engage Zambia especially if the country could identify a specific project it wishes to pursue.
He said his Ministry supported government-to-government development projects undertaken by Austrian Companies with the participation of local companies in host countries.
“We have financing solutions, equipment and technology which we could make available to your country”, Mr. Reichhardt said.
Since 2011, the Zambian government has embarked on an ambitious program to build roads, bridges, airports, schools, hospitals, clinics and other public infrastructure, which have remained in a state of disrepair for many years.
To underscore the critical nature of infrastructure, President Edgar Lungu created the Ministry of Infrastructure whose mandate is to implement policy and provide the necessary political leadership in the sector.
Consequently, the country has and continues to see new public infrastructure in different parts of Zambia.
“When you live in Zambia, you may not notice the changes but when you have been away from home for a year or two and return, it’s amazing what you see”, Ambassador Mukwita said of the on-going developments which he witnessed recently when he was in Zambia on vacation.