News / National
Zinara avails $232 million for road projects
09 Jan 2018 at 01:02hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) has this year set aside $232 million to fund road maintenance and rehabilitation projects with Government urging local authorities to enter into Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Speaking during a meeting with road authorities in Bulawayo last week, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo urged local authorities to enter into PPPs to augment the resources from Zinara as they were inadequate.
Zimbabwe needs more than $5.5 billion to rehabilitate the road infrastructure as most of the roads are in a bad state.
"It is not a secret that most of our road network has outlived its lifespan and we need more than $5.5 billion to rehabilitate the network.
"The revenue that Zinara is mobilising, which is less than $200 million per annum, is not sufficient to cover the maintenance backlog. This is why we are urging road authorities to pursue other innovative strategies such as PPPs where applicable and mobilisation of funds from local financial institutions," said Dr Gumbo.
"With regards the outlook for 2018, I am aware Zinara has budgeted $232 million to fund road maintenance and rehabilitation projects."
Zinara chief executive officer Engineer Nancy Masiyiwa-Chamisa said during the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development 2018 strategic workshop held in Bulawayo in November last year that Zinara's target this year was to mobilise $290 million up from $202 million raised in 2017.
She said about $140 million of the projected $290 million was expected to go towards funding road maintenance by local authorities.
The state of the country's road network has been worsened by the incessant rains experienced in the 2016/17 rain season.
In March last year, the Government released $20 million for the rehabilitation of roads that were damaged by the heavy rains.
Five months later, Government disbursed an additional $150 million under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP). The ERRP entails activities that include sealing of roads, re-gravelling and reconstruction of bridges.
Speaking during a meeting with road authorities in Bulawayo last week, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo urged local authorities to enter into PPPs to augment the resources from Zinara as they were inadequate.
Zimbabwe needs more than $5.5 billion to rehabilitate the road infrastructure as most of the roads are in a bad state.
"It is not a secret that most of our road network has outlived its lifespan and we need more than $5.5 billion to rehabilitate the network.
"The revenue that Zinara is mobilising, which is less than $200 million per annum, is not sufficient to cover the maintenance backlog. This is why we are urging road authorities to pursue other innovative strategies such as PPPs where applicable and mobilisation of funds from local financial institutions," said Dr Gumbo.
"With regards the outlook for 2018, I am aware Zinara has budgeted $232 million to fund road maintenance and rehabilitation projects."
Zinara chief executive officer Engineer Nancy Masiyiwa-Chamisa said during the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development 2018 strategic workshop held in Bulawayo in November last year that Zinara's target this year was to mobilise $290 million up from $202 million raised in 2017.
She said about $140 million of the projected $290 million was expected to go towards funding road maintenance by local authorities.
The state of the country's road network has been worsened by the incessant rains experienced in the 2016/17 rain season.
In March last year, the Government released $20 million for the rehabilitation of roads that were damaged by the heavy rains.
Five months later, Government disbursed an additional $150 million under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP). The ERRP entails activities that include sealing of roads, re-gravelling and reconstruction of bridges.
Source - zimpapers
