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Fortunate Gora Mashonland West Correspondent
Government has started tarring the 300-kilometre Karoi-Binga Road after Treasury availed $10 million for the project recently.

Government has adopted a self-funding model to upgrade roads across the country.

The road, which is expected to provide a much shorter option for people travelling from Harare to Victoria Falls by at least 200km, requires $300 million to be completed. The funds from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and received through the two percent tax on electronic transfers, has seen the District Development Fund tarring about 10km of the road.

Speaking during a work inspectorate tour recently, DDF national director of finance and administration Mr Wilfred Kachitsa said the project, which started in November last year, was expected to end in the next three months.

“Initially, this project was not on the DDF budget that was approved last year, but this year the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development came up with a strategy to raise money,” he said.

Mr Kachitsa quoted Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube’s hype that Government is “taking money from the people, to give it back to the people”.

Mr Kachitsa said a 10km detour has since been constructed to minimise disruptions during the road’s upgrades.

The stretch of the road to Siyakobvu is about 300km, with work set to be done per section of every 10km until the whole stretch is completed.

Resources permitting, Mr Kachitsa said, the 300km would be completed this year.