GOLD RUSH EXCITES GOVT
August 16, 2019 Editor2 0 Comments
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By SILUMESI MALUMO
ZAMBIA Consolidated Copper Mines Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH) has bought a gold processing plant for the country to focus on gold mining as a way of improving the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and putting the economy on a firm recovery path, Mines and Mineral Development Permanent Secretary Paul Chanda has disclosed.
Mr Chanda said Government had realised the need to focus on gold as it would help the country to earn more revenue and improve its GDP.
He said the newly procured gold processing plant would be installed in Rufunsa District of Lusaka Province.
Mr Chanda said ZCCM-IH would start buying gold from the small scale miners across the country and add value to the commodity before exporting it.
He said focusing on gold mining was the right way to go, adding that there was need to promote this because gold was a lucrative mineral.
“I can only emphasise that we need to be supported as a ministry by all stakeholders to galvanise the energies around gold mining,” Mr Chanda said.
He said the commodity was highly expensive on the international market, stating that it would help to improve the economy significantly.
“As government we want to ensure that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) improves and focusing on lucrative commodities would help the country attain its goals,” Mr Chanda said.
“We want to ensure that our mining and our GDP go up, that has been our hope out of locally generated resources and gold cannot be an exception.
So as a ministry we are working with the ZCCM-IH and so far a gold processing plant has been procured so that we start fully fledged gold mining,” he said.
Mr Chanda said the government was looking forward to ensure that gold became the country’s major export in the country.
Mining experts have advised Government to employ a marshal plan for ZCCM-IH to mine for gold and cover deficit in resources by technical staff being laid off in other mines.
Mr. Edward Simukonda urged Government to take the discovery of gold in Mwinilunga district as a gift from God to replace the dwindling mining resources and shift focus to more valuable minerals like gold and tin.
Mr Simukonda, who is Daled Mine Limited (DAML) proprietor, said Zambia had valuable minerals which government should take interest in to earn more revenue for the country as compared to copper.
Mr Simukonda told the Daily Nation that Government should take advantage of the gold in North Western Province to ensure increased revenue collection. Mr Simukonda, who owns a mine in Zimba, said the country had valuable minerals which government should now concentrate on to earn more revenue.
