EXPEDITE AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT
The Zambia Aquaculture Enterprise Development Project -ZAEDP- National Steering Committee has been urged to expedite the approval of work plans and budgets to ensure implementation of aquaculture development in the country.
Fisheries and livestock Permanent Secretary David Shamulenge says there is urgent need to scale up activities of project that was launched in 2017 in order to stimulate the economy of the country through private sector participation.
Dr. Shamulenge challenged the national steering committee comprised of the private and public sector to ensure that 95 percent of the applications be approved and selection of contractors done in a transparent manner.
Speaking in Kitwe when he addressed the first national steering committee, DR. Shamulenge implored the committee to strategize and move because the President and the ministry are in hurry to develop the aquaculture sector in Zambia from a fish deficit country to a surplus.
And, giving an overview of the project status Project Coordinator Alexander Kefi disclosed that about Two Thousand Eight Hundred applications have been received from 93 districts.
Dr. Kefi said the project has so far established an aquaculture database, procured vehicle and motor cycles and is building capacity through training across the aquaculture value chain.
The Zambia Aquaculture Enterprise Development project is a 50 MILLION DOLLARS five year project running from 2017 to 2022 and is expected to benefit more than 50 THOUSAND business enterprises.