Shangombo Western Province Minister Poniso Njeulu, has recently announced that Zambia and its neighbor country Angola, will soon tender the management of the USD 50 million Shangombo – Rivungo canal which connects both countries to an inland port and is meant to boost Zambian exports through Angola.
Construction works are being executed by contractor Clay Disposal Zambia Limited assigned by the Zambian Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications (MTWSC) and its peer, the Angolan Ministry of Transport (MINTRANS).
Works includes a road with a total length of 15 km from which 10 km have been completed so far, the construction of a border post in Shangombo and Zambian Road Development Agency’s (RDA) facilities that are expected to be finished by the end of Q2-2016.
The canal’s road is part of the Link Zambia 8,000 project which was launched in 2012 and that seeks to improve 8,000 Km of roads at a total cost of USD 5.4 billion in a lapse of five years, explained Minister Njeulu.
According to Shangombo officials, the current trade activities between Zambia and Angola have helped locals to improve as their business activities so living conditions.
Zambia is currently using Angola as the gateway for its copper exports to Europe and USA which account for over 6% of the country’s total exports, representing a value of USD 356.4 million according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
