Zambia’s copper output to increase
By Nawa Mutumweno – Zambia’s finished copper production is expected to double to 1.4 million metric tonnes in the next four years, the Chamber of Mines of Zambia has disclosed.
According to the chamber’s president Emmanuel Mutati, with the projected rise in the country’s major export commodity production levels, the mining industry will be able to pay more in terms of taxes to Government.
‘’Since 2000 when production levels had been at 250 000 metric tonnes of finished copper, we are back again where we used to be at 700 000 metric tonnes of production levels in the 1970s,’’ Mr Mutati said.
He was speaking at a high-level national economic conference jointly organised by the National Economic Advisory Council, the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research and International Growth Centre.
The sector has made steady improvement in production levels, particularly in the last two years.
Recently, the Zambia Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) reconciliation report indicated that Zambia’s mining contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow from $590 million in 2010 to $1.35 billion by 2015 due to increased mining activities in the country.
And commenting on skills shortage in the industry, Mr. Mutati said concerted efforts are currently being made to ensure that skills in the sector are provided through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with various stakeholders and ZCCM-Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH).
Each mining entity has since pumped financial resources ranging from $1million to $15 million to help set up training programmes. Over $19 million has since been invested in the mining sector in the last two years to help address challenges of unskilled labour.
The MoU is among training institutions, the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development and Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education, including other relevant stakeholders.
‘’ Individual mining companies are passionate about skills development and are investing heavily in this area. To illustrate how serious they take skills development, we should recognise that there are already significant projects and initiatives underway at existing mine sites,’’ Mr.Mutati elaborated.
First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has invested $1.9 million in a skills development project which is running leadership programmes in mechanical, electrical and metal fabrication at Solwezi Training Institute.
The firm is also running a robust skills development programme with Lumwana Mines through a bilateral agreement while Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) upgraded the Kitwe Trades School at a cost of $2.6 million covering infrastructure, training equipment, human resource and course portfolio.
Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) is establishing a $15 million state-of-the-art training facility in Mufulira which is expected to be commissioned in 2015.
