National Oil Company to avail fuel to speed up road rehabilitation

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter THE Government has directed the National Oil Infrastructure Company (NOIC) and CMED to avail fuel for the ongoing road rehabilitation projects to enable contractors to meet set targets under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2.Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said the Government is moving to complete some of the road rehabilitation projects before the start of the rainy season.Minister Mhona said the Government was also encouraging public private partnerships in the rehabilitation of the country’s roads with Kwekwe-Nkayi set to be transformed into a highway.“The Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road is a national trunk route linking Midlands Province to Matabeleland North Province and is vital for trade and commerce, tourism and social communication for the locals and Zimbabweans in general.

“Furthermore, under National Development Strategy 1, in which road infrastructure development is recognised as a backbone of economic growth, my Ministry is finalising a Public Private Partnership arrangement for transforming the trunk route into a modern highway,” said Minister Mhona.But the shortage of fuel in local currency is said to have stalled some of the road construction works including those done by the Department of Roads.