Government is not aware of the challenges that Sunbird is having in terms of bringing in equipment and experts from China to complete the ethanol plant construction.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Luapula province Investments Coordinator, Joseph Maopu stated that the provincial government team has not received any letter from SUNBIRD concerning the challenges they face to bring the equipment needed for the Bio refinery.
I can confirm to you that Sunbird has not written to us to tell us they are facing challenges to move equipment from China or wherever they are buying it from into kawambwa
In addition, Maopu says he engage to Sunbird Director for Agriculture and find out the challenges they are facing. He reiterated that that the provincial administration holds investors in high regards and they have robust team to quickly attend to any challenges that they may face.
“I will engage Sunbird and ask them to send a letter regarding this because I don’t have the letter on my desk. The provincial administration in Luapula when it comes to investment, has put in a robust response and action oriented team and mechanism to ensure that there is no investment frustration going on. If it is something within the reach of Government, then we can help them engage with China to facilitate the timely delivery of the pending equipment to Zambia”, he said.
Furthermore he stated that the out-grower scheme is progressing well as council acquired land from the Chiefs and through cooperatives, the local community has already been organized. The farmers haven’t yet started cultivating at large scale because they are just at their formative stages and getting sidelines.
“The process of allocating commercial farm blocks plots started with the council last year. After land was acquired from the local chiefs, it was surveyed, demarcated and then did an advert to invite interested local farmers. And when the president came to launch the out grower scheme, the local communities where already organized through cooperatives at village level” Maopu told ZBT.
Sunbird is scheduled to construct a landmark ethanol plant that will contribute to biofuel production in Zambia. The biofuel is expected to cut about US$100million in imports for fuel annually once blending is successfully done.
