The Small Scale Miners Association of Zambia (SSMZ) says most investments in the mining sector do not excite the association because they do not correspond with the activity on the ground.
in an interview, Association Executive Director Kunda Chani told Money FM News that according to audit findings by the organization, most companies that come into the country to participate in the reprocessing of raw materials do not promote value addition of the minerals mined.
Mr Chani added that the companies do not provide the necessary impact within the communities they operate from despite pledging huge investments in the projects.
“To some extent these invests that are pronounced generally to the Zambian people particularly in the mining space do not excite us as an association because investments figures do not correspond with the activity on the ground,” he said.
He also noted that government does not realize the much needed revenue from the investments a situation he describes as unfortunate.
Mr Chani has since urged government to direct a joint team of officials from various government authorities so that pronounced investments by most investors especially in the mining sector correspond with the figures they pledge to inject in a project.
“Independent undertakings that we have made as an association have reviewed that figures pronounced by the investors are and there is very little impact that the firms have in communities they operate in.”
Mr Chani’s comment comes in following the pronouncement by the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) that a Chingola based mining firm intends to invest about $41 million in copper processing at the slung dump site popularly known as the Black Mountain on the Copperbelt.
Lack of value addition disappoints Small Scale Miners
