Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) has set in motion plans to capacitate local authorities with equipment and fuel as part of Government efforts to improve road infrastructure and boost economic growth.
Zinara Board Chairperson, Dr George Manyaya told Sunday News in an interview in Bulawayo recently, on the sidelines of a tour of the road infrastructure in the country by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Roads that the board came up with the resolution to purchase equipment and source fuel for local authorities, which was approved by Cabinet after they realised that the local authorities were not effectively capacitated.
He said the “new Zinara” which is anchored on transparency has engaged local authorities who highlighted some of the challenges that they face, including incapacitation in fuel and equipment.
“We have engaged with some of the local authorities. Recently, we had an engagement with the Masvingo City Council and the Bulawayo City Council together with legislators. From these engagements, we noted that the issue of contracting entities with equipment by the local authorities is the one that is causing delays and that is where issues of quality come in.
“One thing that is coming out from the councils is that they need some equipment and what we have done is bring a board resolution and the Government has approved it. We will capacitate local authorities by buying them equipment. We have also started disbursing fuel because we noticed that at times fuel is in foreign currency and sometimes they do not have funds. The capacitation of local authorities is important and this is part of our drive for this year,” said Dr Manyaya.
He said local authorities have given them a list of equipment that they want and they were going to purchase it through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
In terms of funding for fuel, Dr Manyaya said they have a displacement method that they use, which factors in the capacity of the local authorities.
The development is expected to complement the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP), which has brought about significant positive changes in the country with improved connectivity, increased trade opportunities, enhanced road safety, better access to essential services and the promotion of tourism and regional integration, which are just a few examples of the positive impacts the ERRP has brought.
Over the years, Zinara has been instrumental in funding the upkeep and development of the country’s road infrastructure.
The support, complemented by road infrastructure projects funded through Treasury, has gone a long way to improve some of the major roads and highways in the country. — @nyeve14
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