Lumwana, Kansanshi pays K57.1bn mineral royalties
Finance deputy minister Mulenga Kapwepwe greets finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane
Government says Lumwana and Kansanshi Mining Companies in Northwestern Province paid a total of K57.1 billion in mineral royalties in the last one and half years.
Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning, Chileshe Kapwepwe, told Parliament Friday that K38.4 billion was paid in 2009 and K18.7 billion has been paid since January this year.
She explained that there were no dividends paid to the Government treasury because this was paid to the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH).
She said the moneys paid by mining companies are used to finance Government sponsored projects in various sectors of country’s development.
Ms. Kapwepwe was answering a question from Mwinilunga East Member of Parliament (MP), Stephen Katuka (UPND), who wanted to know how much money the mining companies in North-Western Province paid to Government in form of dividends and royalties in 2009 and 2010 and how the money was utilised by the Government.
And Minister of Finance and National Planning, Situmbeko Musokotwane said Northwestern Province was one of the fastest growing territories in the country.
Dr. Musokotwane said although the province was in the past ranked among the least development areas in the country, it was now growing at a very fast rate because of mining activities that started a few years ago.
He said Government was encouraging more investors to invest in the area because it has a lot of potential to develop economically.
He explained that Government was carrying out big developmental projects in the province, citing the construction of a new hospital in Mufumbwe and the upgrading of the M-8, also known as Mutanda-Chavuma road from the gravel level to tarmac standard.
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( Pierre Mac Orlan )