(ALLAFRICA, TIMES) Mines Investors 'Cheating' on Dividends - Committee
Mines Investors 'Cheating' on Dividends - CommitteeThe Times of Zambia (Ndola)
21 August 2007
Ndola
THE Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has revealed that mining companies are under declaring their profit margins hence the failure to remit dividends to the Zambia Consolidate Copper Mines Investment Holding (ZCCM-IH). The PAC expressed concerns when Mines and Minerals Development Permanent Secretary, Leonard Nkhata, appeared before the committee in Lusaka yesterday in the company of ZCCM-IH chief executive officer Joseph Chikolwa.
Nchelenge member of Parliament (MP), Ben Mwila, (NDF) said copper prices were trading well on the international markets and therefore, the profits declared were below the expectations. Mr Mwila said the price of copper was currently at US$7,000 per tonne resulting in mining firms making profits that should be correctly declared.
"These figures of losses are not correct. Prices of copper are too high. If the profits are going to be like this, Zambians are not going to benefit anything. You have to monitor the profitability," Mr Mwila said.
Luena MP, Charles Milupi, (independent) who is also chairperson of the committee said it was important for ZCCM-IH to realise that the institution was cardinal to the economy of the country. He said ZCCM-IH was the eye of the Zambians and should ensure profits realised by mining firms were correctly declared.
Mr Nkhata had earlier submitted that AHC Mining Municipal Services had accumulated loss of K13.2 billion as at March 2005, while Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), which was bought by Vedanta Resources as the majority shareholders, accumulated a loss of $186 million.
Since 2005 however, KCM had paid dividends of $2.3 million to ZCCM-IH.
Mr Nkhata argued that mining firms were not declaring dividends because of the losses they incurred and cash flow constraints which most of them experienced. He also explained that Roan Antelope Mining Corporation of Zambia (RAMCOZ) never made a profit and eventually went into liquidation. In 2004, its assets were sold to J&W and the company was renamed Luanshya Copper Mines.
In 2004, Luanshya Copper Mines incurred losses amounting to $1 million. Other mines that made losses include NFC Africa Mining, Chibuluma and Chambeshi Mines.
Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) was the only firm that recorded a profit of $6.8 million in 2003, $85.7 million in 2004 and $28.1 million in 2005.
"Mopani Copper Mines made a profit of $75.9 million over the period 2003 to 2005. The profit was ploughed back into rehabilitation and expansion projects, but it was not enough," Mr Nkhata said
However, Mr Chikolwa said his management team was currently working at coming up with a policy on dividends.
He said this in response to a question from Mbabala MP, Emmanuel Hachipuka, (UPND) who wanted to know whether there was a policy on declaring dividends.
Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources permanent secretary, Russell Mulele, told the committee that the Zambia National Tourist Board (ZNTB) was undergoing reorganisation because of the proposed Zambia Tourism Board Bill.
Chipangali MP, Vincent Mwale, (MMD) asked Mr Mulele whether it was justified for ZNTB executive director to be entitled to a salary of K42,240,000 per month.
The remuneration were relatively high when compared to other organisations like Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) where the chief executive officer gets K22,306,900, National Heritage Conservation Commission where the officer is entitled to K15, 149,192 and the Museums Board, where the officer is entitled to K12,250,177.
Mr Milupi also asked Mr Mulele whether Zambia was getting the benefits from paying such an amount to the ZNTB executive director.
Director of Tourism, Justina Wake, said it was justifiable to pay such an amount arguing that the number of tourists coming into the country was on the increase.
In 2005, 650,000 tourists came into the country while 690,000 came in the year 2006.
Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, CORRUPTION, MINING CONTRACTS, MINISTRY OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT, PAC
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