Maravi

Small-scale mines can create 3,000 jobs this year - Njovu

Small-scale mines can create 3,000 jobs this year - Njovu
By Misheck Wangwe in Chingola
Thu 17 May 2012, 08:50 CAT

SMALL-Scale Miners Association of Zambia says local mining companies can create 3,000 jobs this year if the government comes up with deliberate policies to strength local investment in the sector.

In an interview in Chingola, association president Simon Njovu said local investment in mining could contribute significantly to national economic growth and help the government create the much-needed employment if deliberate policies were created to protect local investment.

Njovu said local companies in the mining sector had for many years failed to expand their operations due to inadequate policies that would enhance growth in their businesses and enable them to compete favourably at the international market in terms of copper production.

He said local mining companies should be able to expand and contribute significantly to the national treasury as it was the future of mining in the country.

"We are happy that the PF government has shown political will on many issues affecting the mining sector and the political will has been shown on issues like the handing over of dumpsites to the small-scale miners but going further we need modalities that will see the introduction of programmes to accelerate the socio-economic empowerment of citizens through local investment," he said.

Njovu said small-scale miners had huge challenges in their operations as many policies in the previous government emphasised the growth of foreign investment at the expense of empowering locals with opportunities.

He said the government must give opportunities of growth to associations like small-scale mining as a way of protecting the country from extreme poverty and creating jobs for young people.

Njovu said about 4,000 people on the Copperbelt depended on small-scale mining for survival and it was imperative that government considers revamping the operations of the sector.

Labels: MINING

posted by MrK @ 5:57 PM