Zambia gets $243m for Highway upgrade

expat network

Zambia gets $243m for Highway upgrade

The project to upgrade the 210km Chinsali-Nakonde road aims to improve infrastructure and services as well as reduce transport costs between northern Zambia and southern Tanzania.

Work includes reconstruction of the road between Chinsali and Nakonde, as well as rehabilitation of 50km of feeder roads and construction of service stations, The project also includes other aspects such as training opportunities for youths and women in road maintenance; and technical assistance to support development of a road maintenance strategy.

The Chinsali-Nakonde road is a strategic national and regional road link that forms a section of both the North-South Corridor, which traverses eight countries, and the Trans-Africa Highway, running from Cape to Cairo. The road connects northern Zambia to Tanzania, and provides connectivity and access to the sea for landlocked Zambia. It links the port of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania to the Copper-belt in Southern Democratic Republic of Congo and Northern Zambia. It also connects the Copper-belt to the southern ports of South Africa.

The present degraded condition of the road, which was constructed in the 1970s, is seen as an impediment to national and regional mobility.

Total cost of the work is estimated at US$255.76m. Zambia’s government is expected to provide the remaining 5% in the form of counterpart funding.

Source and Link: The Construction Index

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.