Livestock and Fishers minister Kampamba Mulenga says Zambia has a fish and beef deficit. 

Mulenga was speaking when she called on Copperbelt Minister Japhen Mwakalombe at his office in Ndola, Monday. 

“We have a deficit of fish and beef in the country. This is a concern which we need to address with seriousness. We should not have shortages. We are diversfying and for us to achieve this, we need to have enough stocks,” Mulenga said. 

“Another issue, Copperbelt Minister, that should be followed here on the Copperbelt is the issue of dip tanks. We need to ensure that we follow up these matters so that we see the benefits.”

She complained that it is unfortunate that construction of dip tanks had taken over 12 years. 

“Issues of dip tanks that are under construction for over 12-13 years. It’s a deservice to government projects. Poor works to projects which government has attached a lot of importance. I think there is also no proper coordination between these people and the DC. How can we create employment like this?  We put in a lot of money as government,” she said.

And Mulenga said the contractor working on the fish freezing project in Mpongwe should be investigated for stalling works when government had paid in full.

“The contractor in Mpongwe has disappointed. Government has paid in full but the project of fish freezing is abandoned. At the end of the day, it’s the ministers that are accused of corruption. It is the minister accused of not working,”she said. 

Meanwhile, Mwakalombe said he would visit all the projects which had stalled on the Copperbelt. 

“For us on the Copperbelt, we are equally concerned with reports of work being abandoned. We have a few individuals that want to tarnish the name and image of our local contractors. You are given a contract as a local person, so that you are empowered and help others, they abandon work. I think as government on the Copperbelt, we won’t allow this kind of behavior. I will go there and check what is happening,” said Mwakalombe.