Kafimbwa recommends ZRA presence at emerald mine sites

C0MMENT - How about copper and cobalt mines too?

Kafimbwa recommends ZRA presence at emerald mine sites
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Mon 26 Dec. 2011, 13:59 CAT

THE Emerald Production Watch of Zambia says the country is not collecting enough revenue from precious stones due to lack of transparency in the extraction of minerals.

In an interview, organisation president Musa Kafimbwa said the PF government must come up with measures that would enhance transparency in the extraction of emeralds and semi-precious stones.

Kafimbwa said it was sad that the country had not maximised its benefits from the country's precious minerals, which had remained one of the most lucrative at the international market.

He said the value of Zambian emeralds at the international market, if well utilised, could create the much needed wealth for the country.

Kafimbwa said the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) must establish offices at the emerald mine sites for them to get actual production data as there were anomalies in the monitoring system of emerald mining.

He said revenue collection should be done at the production site as it was the standard practice in every country endowed with precious minerals.

"Our minerals are just taken like that. We are almost getting nothing from these mines. We need to monitor production in these mines because even the Ministry of Mines has no data on how many emeralds are produced per day in this country and the investors in emerald mining fall under this ministry.

As a watch group, we are strongly convinced that there is no monitoring from the point of production to where there is an auction," Kafimbwa said.

He said ZRA should put up a stringent revenue collection system in emerald mining.

Kafimbwa said it was unacceptable that districts like Lufwanyma had remained among the poorest despite producing richest minerals in the world.

"If you go to Lufwanyama, we have two chiefs there: chief Lumpuma and chief Nkana. They are all poor despite their chiefdoms being endowed with precious minerals like emeralds and every investor is looking for these minerals. We want our people to benefit from these minerals," said Kafimbwa.