• Majority of the members have faced challenges from a level of small scale mining.
• Quarter one really hit them badly because of the adjustments in fuel prices upwards.
• The monthly adjustment of fuel really hit them badly because they have found it very difficult to provide adequate planning.
Small Scale Miners Association of Zambia says government has shown commitment in ensuring that operations in the mining sector are done in a favorable environment in order to enhance production.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Association President Kunda Chani noted that there have been a lot of reforms at the cadaster department within the Ministry of Mines aimed at easing the acquisition of licenses for small scale miners.
Mr. Chani however observed that in the first quarter of the year, small scale miners who use machines for their day to day operations were badly hit as a result of the upward adjustments in fuel prices.
“There have been a lot of reforms going on within the Ministry, and beyond that there have been a lot of activities going on within the economy and one of them has been the price of fuel. For those that are doing small scale mining using machines, quarter one really hit them badly because of the adjustments in fuel prices upwards.”
“From the point of operation, the majority of our members have faced challenges from a level of small scale mining, those that are actively mining. They have been challenged by the prices of fuel. The monthly adjustment of fuel really hit them badly because they have found it very difficult to provide adequate planning,” Mr. Chani said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chani stated that small scale miners are working in collaboration with government to support the 3 million metric tonnes of copper production target.
“But all in all, the spirit within the sector is very high and members in the sector are committed and they are working hand in hand with government to support the 3 million metric tonnes of copper that government is looking forward to.”
“So quarter one has presented a balance we can’t fully say that we performed to the projections that we had set for the year,” he added.
