K1.3bil needed yearly for roads

Works and Implementation Minister Michael Nali says about K1.3 billion is needed each year to repair and restore national roads to acceptable conditions.
He was speaking in parliament on Friday when responding to questions on national roads.
“I have 30,000 kilometres of national roads to rehabilitate, on top of provincial roads,” Nali said. “Then there are district roads.
“We have a backlog of roads to rehabilitate.
“Before we have Works Department who used to have equipment with the PTB (plant and transport board), they attend to needs quicker. But now, all PTB equipment closed 12 years ago and we have some contractors who took over to fix all the roads.
“I need K700 million to pay outstanding invoices.
“In that K700 million I need to pay outstanding contracts on top of that I have to put money for counterpart funding for projects which development partners are partnering with us to do road projects.
“I need close to K1.2 to K1.3 billion a year to restore the roads to acceptable conditions.”