Friday, March 29, 2024

Mines’ performance impressive despite Covid-19 – Mangimela

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North Western Province Permanent Secretary, Willies Mangimela says the mining sector has performed well in the past two years despite the Covid-19 pandemic that the country has been experiencing.

Mr Mangimela said from 2015 to 2018, the country performed well in terms of revenue collection due to increased production from the new mines.

He added that the revenue being collected from the mines is expected to grow further during the coming years.

Mr Mangimela said this in Solwezi yesterday when he officiated at a stakeholder’s campaign meeting dubbed “Copper for Development”.

“We expect revenue from the mines to grow in the coming years under the able leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema,” he said.

Mr Mangimela pointed out that the government is committed to ensuring that the spending of mining revenue is directed to specific sectors for development in all provinces.

Meanwhile, North-Western Chamber of Commerce Executive Secretary, Juliet Sakala appealed for transparency on how the revenue from the mines is being utilized.

Ms Sakala said huge taxes are being paid to government from the mines and should be utilized and distributed equally.

She is also called on the increase in shareholding for Zambian investors in the mines.

And Senior Chief Mujimanzovu of the Kaonde speaking people said North-western province does not mine copper only but gold as well, adding that there is need for information to be given on how much gold is being mined from the province.

The traditional leader said the local people are not benefiting much from the mines, hence proposing for a law to be put in place that will look at how the locals can benefit from their mines such as the giving of licenses to the locals.

And the organisers of the meeting, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) said the copper for development campaign’s goal is to ensure citizens participation in proper use of mining revenue.

CSPR representative, Gerald Mutelo, in his opening remarks, said the aim of the campaign is also to promote inclusive policy reforms in the mining sector and the use of revenue from the mines.

Mr Mutelo added that they hope to see the use of revenue from the mines to diversify and grow other sectors such education, health and agriculture.

The stakeholders meeting was organized by CSPR in collaboration with OXFARM.

6 COMMENTS

  1. Things must change now, all revenue made from the mines in northwestern province must remain in northwestern province, Lusaka must find its own revenue source. We cant continue providing Lusaka and other provinces with money and us here in northwestern province we remain in extreme poverty.

  2. @Fackson, do you understand OZON slogan or you just shout it? You should have said the same about CB prior to discovery of minerals in NWP, that would have been fair right? How about all the electricity being generated from Kariba and Kafue being distributed in those provinces. Don’t be greedy, that’s how corruption starts.

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