Chinese firm wins water, sanitation construction project in northern Zambia

LUSAKA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) has been awarded a contract for water and sanitation improvement project in the northern part of Zambia, a Zambian government official said Wednesday.

The Chinese firm has since engaged seven local firms as sub-contractors for the 27 million U.S. dollars project which will improve water and sanitation services in Northern Province's two districts of Kasama and Mbala.

The sub-contracting of the project was the fulfillment of the 20 percent sub-contracting policy in which foreign firms are expected to offer local ones, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, the state-broadcaster, quoted Northern Province Permanent Secretary Royd Chakaba as saying during a contract signing ceremony.

While saying that the government expects the Chinese contractor to transfer skills to local contractors as part of the capacity-building program, Chakaba stressed that the performance of the local contractors in the project will demonstrate their readiness to take up big projects and urged them to take the opportunity seriously.

Chen Xiaobo, acting general manager of the CSCEC, pledged his company's commitment to share experiences with local contractors.