ANDD URGES STAKEHOLDERS IN THE MINING SECTOR TO SUPPORT GOVERNMENT PROGRESSIVE MINING REFORMS
…. reforms such as the Mineral Regulation Commission should be supported by all well meaning Zambians
Lusaka… Monday September 11, 2023 (SMART EAGLES)
The Advocates for National Development and Democracy (ANDD) has called on stakeholders in the mining sector to support government progressive mining reforms in the mining industry.
ANDD Executive Director Samuel Banda says reforms such as the Mineral Regulation Commission should be supported by all well meaning Zambians because they are aimed at benefiting the nation.
The mineral regulation commission will promote integrity, transparency, address illegal mining activities and ensure that investors adhere to our mining policies and regulations.
He also called on the government to promptly find an equity partner to run Mopani Copper Mine saying Konkola Copper Mine has been sorted amicably.
The statements by our Republican President Hakainde Hichilema that Government will soon open and unlock Mopani Copper Mines is a progressive statement, it has actually given us and the people of Zambia hope, more especially the people of the Copperbelt who depend on the mines for employment and business opportunities and other economic activities. This statement is profoundly positive and it is actually a demonstration by the President that he is committed to revamp the mining sector,” he said.
“We are happy that the statement came from the president himself and we can only appeal that the President expedite the process and we’re hopeful that the government will unlock Mopani as well after unlocking KCM by handing it over to Vedanta Resources, the global mining giant.
We only hope that Mopani will be unlocked before the end of this year. Our position is that as citizens of Zambia, stakeholders in the mining sector, let us support the mining reforms that the government is implementing, for example, the mineral Regulation Commission. It is one reform that from the advocates for national development and democracy position that we support because we believe that it is going to improve integrity and transparency and regulation of the mines and industrialize the mining sector,” he submitted.
He acknowledged that one of the reasons why previously investors misbehaved was the fact that the country did not have such policies to regulate them.
“These investors as much as we partner with them they need to be effectively and efficiently monitored for them to ensure that they adhere to mining policies and good corporate practices. However, we want to appeal to the government that the investor that they are negotiating with to take over Mopani they should ensure that they give the investor terms and conditions that will meet the interests and address the interests and aspirations of the Zambian people, the employees, suppliers and contractors in the mining sector.
He emphasized that the people of Zambia should support these mining reforms for the nation to adequately benefit from it’s mineral resources and make the mining sector viable.