PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
Pretoria –Thursday, 5th October 2017.
The European Union (EU) has allocated over €484million in projects to Zambia .
Secretary to Treasury Fredson Yamba disclosed in Pretoria today that EU under the 11th European Development Fund(EDF) has committed funded projects in Agriculture, Energy, governance and infrastructure.
And Zambia has sped up absorption of over 80% of 484 million Euros grants allocated to Zambia under the 11th European Development fund (EDF).
Zambia’s Secretary to the Treasury Fedson Yamba says the money has been disbursed towards energy, agriculture and governance sectors for the period 2014 to 2020.
Mr. Yamba said 64 million euros has been channelled towards the rehabilitation of Kariba dam while 65 million has been allocated to the rehabilitation of the Lusaka Transmission and Distribution line and 40 million euros channelled toward the promotion of renewable energy production in the energy category.
Mr. Yamba was speaking today in Pretoria South Africa, when he together with a delegation of technocrats from the Ministry of Finance paid a courtesy call on Zambia’s High Commissioner to that country His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba ahead of a two-day EU Regional Summit involving countries in the Cotonou agreement also to be attended by Zambia’s Finance Minister Felix Mutati.
He said in the governance sector, the EU will disburse 7 million euros towards legal empowerment and enhancement of Justice delivery programs while 10 million euros would be channelled to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to strengthen democracy and promote greater participation of underrepresented sectors of society in the electoral process.
Mr. Yamba added that 108 million euros would be used to support sustainable commercialisation of Zambia’s smallholder farmers and 10 million euros for performance enhancement programs for the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries.
He said Zambia had performed exceptionally well in utilising and absorbing the grants among the recipient countries in the Cotonou Agreements, as such, was an envy and a case study country of efficient use of disbursed grants.
Mr. Yamba expressed gratitude to the EU for being one of Zambia’s biggest donor partners.
And Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa His Excellency. Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba said Zambia was a beacon of economic prosperity in Africa despite negative media reports.
He said Zambians should desist from painting a negative image of the country as the donor community had faith in Zambia.
Mrs. Naomi Nyawali
First Secretary Press and Public Relations.
Zambia’s High Commission to South Africa.
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