Barrick Lumwana Mine has clinched a multi-million dollar cleaning and supplies deal with the Zambian companies.
This development has cheered the Cleaning Association of Zambia saying this has come after months of tripartite talks and negotiations between the Government, Barrick Lumwana Mining and the Cleaning Association of Zambia.
Association Secretary General Lawrence Makumbi tells Money FM News that the association is excited with the multi-million Dollar Lumwana cleaning and catering Contract which has been in foreign hands for over 13 years and will now be offered to Zambian Companies.
“We must state that there are different categories of investors in Zambia and Barrick Lumwana Mine has proved to be amongst the best, Barrick is partnering with Zambians and will ensure locals transform the Mineral resources we have as a people into sustainable benefits through local procurement of the cleaning services,” he said.
Mr. Makumbi said the association has been lobbying for this contract and many others to ensure that the entrepreneurs in the areas in which these investors are operating, directly benefit from the natural resources.
“Through my office a task force was constituted that went into talks with Senior Chief Mukumbi of The Kaonde People {who is the oldest reigning Chief in Zambia} , the terms of reference were that 3 companies be formed by the people of Lumwana, we helped the people register at PACRA and we have connected them to the larger companies in the association that will offer them lines of credit up to K500,000 in equipment, chemicals and total support to ensure they perform once the contracts are offered to them, furthermore a program to train them in cleaning methodologies has been drafted for the new companies,” he disclosed.
“We thank the Consumer Protection Commission {CCPC}, the Barrick Mine team, Mr Nathan chishimba the Country Director, Kevin Butler {The supply chain manager} and Estina, you are great patriots that deserve honoring, because these contracts will ensure economic transformation in Lumwana as these contractors will invest the monies in the area as they are born and breed in Lumwana as can be seen from the PACRA registration documents.”
Mr. Makumbi has since called on other investors in Zambia to emulate Barrick Lumwana Mine to go ahead and offer contracts that Zambians can handle to Zambians, other contracts that are country wide must be broken into regions to benefit the smaller companies in those regions.