GOVT TO ESTABLISH PROCESSING PLANTS AT MINES TO BOOST COPPER OUTPUT
THE Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development has disclosed plans to establish processing plants in most mines, particularly for copper, to meet the 3 million tonnes copper output target by 2031.
Ministry of Mines Permanent Secretary Dr. Hapenga Kabeta says the move aims to respond to the current situation where many mines export raw copper without local processing.
In an interview with Phoenix News, Dr. Kabeta says the ministry and the Zambia Development Agency are working on a regulatory framework for critical minerals, requiring mining companies to increase local processing and smelting capacity after 10 years of operations.
He has clarified that the regulations aim to encourage investment in smelters and downstream facilities for job creation and boosting value-added exports.
Dr. Kabeta has explained that priority will be given to fast-tracking policy details and investment packages that make local processing commercially viable, with the aim to position Zambia as a regional hub for refined copper by the end of the decade.
PN