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Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet Peter Kasanda has expressed disappointment at the manner in which capital projects in Mongu district of Western province had been abandoned by the previous government.
Ambassador Kasanda said the Sefula Rice Scheme and the Cashew project were initiatives that government should have prioritized in the province considering that they were meant to benefit the local people.
He was speaking in Sefula yesterday shortly after he inspected the Cashew plantation in Mabumbu area during his familiarization tour of Western province.
Ambassador Kasanda has since assured the people of Western province that the Patriotic Front (PF) government will ensure that the two projects are revamped in the shortest possible time.
He said it is government’s kin interest to see project such as the Rice Scheme and the Cashew project among others work to higher standards saying this will help restore the dignity of the province.
Ambassador Kasanda observed that neglecting Rice and Cashew projects in Western province was a setback in the development progress of the area.
And Western province Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba said he is passionate about revamping the two projects in the province because they have the potential to change people’s lives permanently.
Mr Mwamba stressed that once restored, the Cashew industry coupled with the Sefula Rice Scheme will be an income generation projects for the people of Western province.
He said his office will ensure that the processes to revamp the projects are given all the necessary support.
Meanwhile, Sefula Rice Scheme Extension Officer Stella Silumesii said farmers at the Rice scheme are currently utilizing 65 hectors out of the actual 200 of land due to a number of challenges being faced by the scheme.
Mrs Silumesii said the scheme that was constructed at the total cost of US$8, 000 in 1999, has not received government support since its inception.
She said challenges being faced are high levels of poverty among farmers, unlevelled fields and the accumulation of sand into the water channels among others.
