The Lumwana Development Trust Fund (LDTF) has approved over K4 billion for infrastructure development projects in three chiefdoms in Solwezi district of Northwestern province.
Lumwana Mining Company (LMC) Acting Managing Director, Pierre Louw, said his company will this year fund 19 infrastructural development related projects in the education, health and social economic sectors in chiefs Mukumbi, Mumena and Matebo.
Mr. Louw said this in a speech read for him by LMC Sustainability Manager Brenda Jambatamba during a press and stakeholders briefing on the company’s facilitated multi-vocational skills apprenticeships training over the weekend.
He said his company’s social sustainability plan was aimed at managing the anticipated social impacts of the copper project in the town, adding that funding these developmental projects was a visionary intention of the mine.
He said this would directly promote diversification of the local economy through robust business development initiatives in the province.
“Approved with the 19 infrastructural development projects whose funding is beginning this year is another set of 12 projects that will be considered for funding once the second cycle of funding reach completion,” he said.
Mr. Louw stated that 14 of the approved projects in the education sector are targeted at building 23 staff house, 21 new classrooms and two science laboratories.
He said there were three projects for the social economic sector, which involved the construction of three community training centers which will be equipped with some sewing machines.
In the health sector, there are two projects aimed at building a new rural health post and one staff house.
He said through this funding under the LDTF, the company will help government achieve the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 in the areas of education, health and poverty alleviation in the targeted communities.
Mr. Louw said this is the second cycle of funding through the LDTF, saying the first cycle was undertaken in 2007/ 2008 and covered a total of 13 infrastructural development related projects in the three target chiefdoms.
Meanwhile, Solwezi district commissioner Albert Chifita commended LMC for its efforts of supplementing government’s effort in meeting the FNDP and MDGs through the provision of infrastructure in areas where it operates.
Mr. Chifita said government appreciated the partnership that exists with the private sector in ensuring that social services were delivered to the people effectively.
ZANIS
Australians are very good people to invest in a country. well done Lumwana mines. this is great especially that you are adding back to the economy cheers and keep it up.
you deserve a tax deduction for that expence
this is called real investment
Its is a good thing that Lumwana has opted to put back where they got from and this should be the way business giants and the community they operate in trade. they do not deserve any tax exempts or fevours. this is the problem that we zambians have, we give them the right to mine and when they replant, we are made to fill inferior and propose such things.they owe it to us and they are just giving back period…
# 4
Finally some sense from somebody. Its called Corporate Social Responsibility. And it shouldn’t be a prerequisite for granting tax incentives. Let’s see the same “responsibility” from Kansanshi Mine also!
I bet a chinese would NOT do such a thing.