AB deal awaits govt approval

Said the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Baledzi Gaolathe, in his budget speech four weeks ago: "Government started fresh negotiations with IDI, which have successfully been concluded and it is expected that the management contract will start by April 2009."

However, the new Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Carter Morupisi, yesterday said he was not in a position to discuss the contract between the government and IDI because the two parties were yet to sign an agreement.Morupisi said Cabinet was yet to be furnished with the report in order to decide a way forward."We are hoping it will be finalised April 1," he said. "It has been debated, and the ministry is taking it to Cabinet for endorsement."The Permanent Secretary said he was optimistic that the management contract would be signed after some points were ironed out.