Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) Chief Executive Officer Mr. Perry Mapani this afternoon concluded his tour of IDC interests in Central Province with a visit to Zambia Railways Limited in Kabwe, where the railway company outlined its strategy to strengthen its operations.
Mr. Mapani has been in the Province to appreciate the operational progress made by subsidiaries under IDC.
Speaking during the tour of Zambia Railways Limited today, Mr. Mapani said he was aware of the challenges the company was facing, and commended Management and Staff for being innovative in their bid to achieve their vision of being the preferred regional railway transport and logistics provider.
“It’s really commendable how your innovation has made you remain afloat and I am more than certain that the employees here know what needs to be done to change the current status of Zambia Railways,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zambia Railways Acting Managing Director, Mr Fred Mwila said his company had put in place a number of strategies aimed at strengthening its regional rail operation ties through regular interactions to increase capacity for smooth operations.
Mr. Mwila gave an example of the partnership with Beit Bridge Railway as one of the interactions, which has contributed to the company’s improved efficiency and service delivery.
IDC is currently implementing a plan to enable Zambia Railways rehabilitate its railway line from Chingola to Livingstone to improve train speeds and increase cargo capacity to four million metric tonnes per annum on the North-South corridor. This is expected not only to relieve pressure off the country’s road infrastructure, but it will also improve trade by moving higher volumes of cargo at cost-effective rates.
IDC is mandated to supervise State-owned Enterprises to ensure that they are operating efficiently and profitably.
