International Monetary Fund (IMF) senior officials have applauded Konkola Copper Mines (KCM)’s focus to maintain high safety standards and tipped the mining industry to continue to be a major sector of economic growth.
IMF deputy director for Africa David Owen and IMF resident representative in Zambia Tobias Rasmussen, during a visit to Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) at the weekend, said that the level of safety measures they had found at KCM and efficiency in operations was impressive and critical to growth of the industry and contribution to the national economy.
“What attracted me the most was the attention to safety, the overall focus to safety is impressive. I was extremely impressed with what I saw underground,” Mr Owen said after a visit to the flagship Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) in Chililabombwe.
Mr Owen said mining, which had historically remained a dominant earner of foreign exchange through minerals exports, would continue to be a key driver of the economy, although there was need to diversify.
“As production is projected to ramp up, it (mining) will be a potential source of revenue that will be used to finance infrastructure development and other industry can develop from mining,” Mr Owen said.
“It will continue to be of direct benefit to other industries that supply the mines. However, it will also be important for Zambia to diversify the economy in order not to be dependent entirely on mining,” he said.
Mr Rasmussen said the magnitude of the KDMP operation was impressive, including the pumping out of 350,000 cubic metres of clean water every day, the bulk of which is allowed to flow into the Kafue River via canals, while the rest is provided to Chililabombwe town for domestic use.
Mr Rasmussen said investors in the mining industry and other actors such as the government required to find optimal solutions for the mutual benefit of mine owners and the country.
He said it would be good for all involved in mining to continue with the expansion seen in recent times and ensure efficiency in operations to boost productivity.
“The previous increase in production has been an important driver and helped to raise incomes and living standards. The important thing is to ensure continuation, and also broad growth to ensure everybody benefits from mining,” Mr Rasmussen said.
The IMF officials also visited the state-of-the art Nchanga smelter in Chingola during their familiarization tour.
sounds like Vendata’s KCM will get the much needed investment after all, please use it wisely this time around
Why is the IMF doing the job of the Department of Labour? In this article, I was looking for IMF’s report on the economic viability of KCM and the Zambian mining industry in general. If this report is what we needed we could have gone to specialised mining safety companies – there are thousands of them worldwide! Kuti namwikala ati IMF this IMF that kanshi utunenu tuleumfwana the SALE PRICE of KCM & your natural resource!!!
This IMF only celebrates if its conditional interests are safe and set to be multiplied, despite sufferings endured by exploited mineworkers and the unstoppable flight of huge profits earned from the exports of minerals. The IMF sent its representative to make sure that unsoverign Sata regime remains compliant to IMF terms. The IMF decides how Sata and his cronies share the crams which fall off the banquet tables of capitalists investors in Zambia. The same IMF advises Sata and prepares clumsy speeches designed to show the citizens that he is a robust uncompromising leader. Yet, such speeches are mere rhetoric which are not worth more than the papers they are written on. He verbally attacks companies, yet he well understands that he is completely toothless.
Wanu Ngwee,
The economic viability of KCM should be anchored on its Environmental, Health and Safety standards. There are international standards that an organization such as KCM is supposed to comply to before they can qualify for funding from organizations such as IFC. if you are interested you can google “IFC EHS Guidelines” . My point is never separate an organization’s economic viability from its EHS standards.
Ba KCM when are you engaging U&M Mining again?
For what, just go look for employment elsewhere, ba operator chaba shani
It is all lies. Safety is done when a big fish is coming. Tamwababeshiba bamwenye.
i thought this david guy from IMF would know that in the 21st centuary safety encompasses enviromental protection aswell.these KCM characters have polluted the kafue river in the past,they have continued releasing dangerous levels of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere.yet this IMF lumpen is preaching about how impressive their safety performance is,shame
Ukulalumba uwalusa bola. KCM alipwa in everything. Safety safety finshi? Ma rubbish!
When a bank starts applauding you that means they want in and you are making money…where is IMF when it comes to lowly wages and poor conditions of service?
Sure? Anyway the current owers should not boast of the current state and Safety awareness at KCM. Anglo did a recommendable job in SHEQ before they left after making their billions. Safety was paramount for them from the lowest level of an operator to the highiest level at management. Credit goes to Anglo and the workers who have maintained the standards at KCM. I doubt if there is any safety in India nor China. Open your eyes and ears. Do not try to re-write history books.
IMF I.D.I.O.T.S are not the best people to comment on safety features of any mine in Zambia. They are not qualified, not morally qualified, and not professionally qualified to be anywhere near our mining activities. I suspect that these crooks are out to shield KCM from our possible renationalization based on their criminal activities and their poor mining life. I visited Nchanga last year and I was appalled at how degerated things have become.
The IMF are not in Zambia to make Zambia a better nation, but to ensure that the nation is continually enslaved and chained to poverty. Sadly, our leadership is also as bankrupt as the IMF loves us to be.
Another Anil Agarwal machination. He did this at Sesa Goa. When will the Zambian Government wake up?