• Increase in petroleum products is steep and is bound to affect miners greatly.
• Miners will be prompted to downsize the labour force so as to have cost-reflective operations.
• Small scale miners will do what they can to improve mining operations this year.

Small Scale Miners Association of Zambia says the increase in prices of petroleum products will negatively affect mining operations.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Association President Kunda Chani said the increase in fuel prices will prompt sector players to reduce the labour force so that they have cost-reflective operations, hence sending a lot of people out of employment.
Mr. Chani however said sector players are focusing to participate in the growth of production in 2022 but that this can only be achieved through working in collaboration with key players and stakeholders such as government.
“For those that are in our sector obviously the increase in petroleum products is steep and is bound to affect us greatly, in the sense that obviously we will be prompted to downsize our labour force so that we have cost-reflective operations that will help us survive. It is a fact that we need to live with as members of the Association. If the price of petroleum products doesn’t go down, we will be adversely affected, that is a fact,” Mr. Chani said.
He added that small scale miners will do what they can to improve mining operations this year.
“In a bid to improve operations, our focus for 2022 is to participate in the growth of production but to achieve this we need to work hand in hand with key players and stakeholders and the biggest stakeholder is obviously government. We will achieve what needs to be achieved and contribute in our own rights as small scale mining players,” he added.