China release $46 million for new 650 seater Parliament

Construction of the new 650-seater Parliament building in Mt Hampden is set to start after the Chinese government released an initial tranche of $46 million for the project.

According to media reports, the new Parliament is being built to replace the current one which is short of space resulting in some legislators being forced to conduct business in the August House while standing.

Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda last week revealed that road construction works at the venue of the new Parliament building had already started after the Chinese government released the initial batch of funds for the project.

Construction of the new Parliament in Mt Hampden got impetus last month after Micro Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Minister Obert Mpofu signed the $46 million deal in China to kick-start building of the new Parliament building.

The money is the first tranche of funds that would be released by the Chinese government which undertook to provide funds for the new Parliament building.