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Committee wants Shire Valley project expedited

 

The Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has urged government to show commitment on the multibillion kwacha Shire Valley Transformation Programme (SVTP) scheduled to start next year.

Speaking in an interview on Friday in Dedza during a parliamentary committee briefing by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, the committee’s chairperson, Joseph Chidanti-Malunga, said government should show more interest, especially in the relocation of people who will be affected by the programme.

Malunga (L) and other officials listeining
to a presentation

“The World Bank, African Development Bank [AfDB] and the other financiers of the programme have set a condition that the money for compensating the people who will be relocated due to the programme should come from the government and lack of interest in doing this will delay the programme,” he said.

According to Malunga, the current budget does not show clearly how much and how the people are going to be compensated despite government’s promise to do everything to ensure people are compensated.

However, director of irrigation services in the Department of Irrigation, Geoffrey Mamba, commended government, the World Bank, AfDB and Global Fund for making sure there is progress in project so far.

He lobbied the MPs to support the implementation of the project and help the ministry in creating awareness among the beneficiaries of the project.

The international organisations are expected to provide $160 (about K120 billion) million, $50 million (about K37.5 billion), $50 million and $50 million respectively.

Phase one of the programme will cost $223 million (about K167 billion) and is scheduled to start in 2018 and end in 2023.

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