US$153M FOR AIRPORT UPGRADING AND REHABILITATION PROJECT

US$153m FOR AIRPORT UPGRADING AND REHABILITATION PROJECT IN ZIMBABWE

President Mnangagwa yesterday commissioned the US$153 million Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport upgrading and rehabilitation project. Government is  modernizing the country’s infrastructure to meet world standards. The project includes expansion of the international terminal building and aprons, and also installation of four new air bridges. The project will also include a secondary radar system, an airfield ground lighting system and communication systems.  There will also be construction of a VVIP pavilion.

The project is to take three (3) years to complete and brings with it employment opportunities for Zimbabweans. The upgrade is being funded through a concessionary loan from China Exim Bank unlocked when President Mnangagwa visited China in April. The contractor is the firm behind the successful upgrading of Victoria Falls International Airport China Jiangsu International Economic Technical Cooperation Corporation (CJIETCC).

The rehabilitation of the airport is a catalyst to economic development.

President Mnangagwa said, it is a key enabler for industrialization, human development and economic growth.

“To this end, airports are the basic physical structure for any modern society, enterprise or economy to function efficiently,” he said. “It facilitates movement of goods and natural persons, tourists and investors, among others.