Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development says there is need for a well-coordinated mechanism that will ensure collaboration of relevant government institutions and agencies in gold mining value chain to harness potential of gold to revenue generation and economic development of the country.

Speaking during a press briefing on strategic harnessing of Gold Potential in Zambia, Ministry Permanent Secretary Barnaby Mulenga said this is the more reason Cabinet on Wednesday 4th December 2019 approved a strategy which entails declaring gold as strategic mineral in order to provide a well-coordinated mechanism of exploiting the resource among others.
“Cabinet was concerned that we must benefit from gold and therefore make certain directives to us to ensure that this is done”He said.

Mr. Mulenga said the target amount of gold to be collected by 2020 from primary and secondary sources including artisanal and small scale gold miners is 40, 000 kilograms.
And ZCCM-IH Chief Executive Officer Mabvuto Chipata said ZCCM-IH will invest in the gold sub-sectors value chain that includes exploration and refining among others.
Mr Chipata said a company that will undertake and oversee all gold related projects is in process of forming and its name will soon be announced to the market in the next week.
He says in driving the national agenda on gold as mandated by government ZCCM-IH has formed a partnership with a gold processing company and that gold processing from old stock piles is due to start in by February 2020 at two mines in Rufunsa.
“Together with this Partner, we are investing K45 million to set up a gold processing plant in Rufunsa. He said.
Mr Chipata added that Phase two by the second quarter of 2020 in Mumbwa.