Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EPCCI) is ready to manage the construction of a dry port by the private sector at the Chipata-Mchinji railway so that rail operations can begin.

The Chipata-Mchinji railway line has not yet started operating as there has been no dry port on the Zambian side.

EPCCI vice-president for trade, Davies Mwanamoyo said that the chamber was ready to engage the private sector to build the sheds on the Zambian side to make the project possible.

Acting managing director of Zambia Railways, Regina Mwale has said that the dry port has not been constructed as there have been no available funds for the project.

Mr Mwanamoyo appealed to the Government to allow the chamber to engage the private sector to build the storage facilities on the Zambian side to kick-start the multi-million dollar project.

Central East Africa Rails (CEAR) is a private company engaged to operate the Chipata-Mchinji rail line to the port of Nacala in Mozambique via Malawi.

CEAR civil engineer, Paul Madula blamed the lack of activities a tthe project on the Zambian Government.