Administrateur du site
Messages: 4394
Inscription: Jeu 30 Juil 2009 16:48
Localisation: la seyne sur mer
investment value worth US$3 billion once completed
By MUKULA MUKULA
PRESIDENT Banda has urged mine owners to ensure mine suppliers are paid in good time to avoid delays which negatively affect their business.
Mr Banda said mine owners and mine suppliers should forge a good working relationship so that the mining sector can continue to grow in harmony.
He said this yesterday when he commissioned Phase I of the US$1.6 billion Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) and the smelter.
KDMP in Chililabombwe and the smelter in Chingola have an investment value worth US$3 billion once completed.
The investments will create 1,000 more jobs.
Mr Banda said mine suppliers and mine owners should look at each other’s problems and ensure that they resolve their differences.
The President said this in the wake of complaints he has received from mine suppliers over delays in receiving payments for what they supply to mines.
Mr Banda said the suppliers should also take ownership of the investments in the mines which have continued to bring development to the country.
The President appealed to the private sector to set up industries which would be able to provide the materials which the mines need for their operations.
He said he is concerned that the mining companies were operating at high production costs and wanted to see an improvement in the unit cost of production.
Continued on Page 2.
Mr Banda said the mines have remained a key economic driver accounting for 15.9 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 50 percent of formal employment.
The President said Government would like to see enhanced activity in the exploration of more minerals to expand the mining sector throughout the country.
Mr Banda said Government would continue to encourage investment in the mines to ensure more people were employed in the sector.
He said Government has demonstrated its commitment to the development of the mining sector with the review of the mining policy to ensure viability and continued operations.
The President said the mines were able to survive the economic recession because of favourable government policy while those that were on care and maintenance have resumed operations.
The President said as the mining sector continues to grow, the challenge the country faces is to find a solution to the lack of value addition to the ore that the mines produced.
He said the export of raw ore was as good as exporting jobs to other countries.
Mr Banda challenged the private sector to invest in value addition industries which would be able to process the copper ore into finished products.
The President was, however, happy that the state of the art smelter at Nchanga will add value to the ore that would be produced at the KDMP.
Mr Banda urged KCM and other mine houses to invest in training programmes for the locals so that they could take up managerial positions in the mines.
He expressed joy that KCM was heading in that direction with an investment of U$17.5 million in the Mulungushi University in Kabwe and the sponsoring of 10 Zambians to study in India in various fields.
The President also urged the mine owners to consider social investments for Zambians to appreciate the investments.
KCM chief executive officer Kishore Kumar said KCM’s future was loaded with a lot of opportunities as it heads towards the production of 500,000 tonnes of copper per annum.
Mr Kumar said although the economic recession increased the cost of production, KCM went ahead with the KDMP project.
He said the main goal of KCM was to improve the well being of the people and rising to the full potential of its operations.
Mr Kumar said KCM has rewarded 16 workers who worked tirelessly during the construction of the phase one KDMP with a trip to South Africa to watch the World Cup.