LUSAKA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Mining firms in Zambia on Tuesday called on the government to streamline small-scale mining in order to allow the country to get maximum benefits from the sub-sector.
The Zambia Chamber of Mines, an association of large-scale mining firms operating in the country, said there was an urgent need for the government to organize and streamline artisanal mining which was currently disorganized and contributing nothing to the country's treasury.
"Presently, this area of the industry is largely disorganized and run by individuals without appropriate consideration of environmental consequences and more importantly the consequences of the safety of the people working on these premises," Nathan Chishimba, the association's president said in a statement.
The government, he said, was not benefiting from the process of small-scale mining and was missing on the opportunity to increase the tax base, adding that the industry was ready to work with the government so that the country could start benefiting from the sub-sector.
He further said the government was keen to closely work with the government in identifying appropriate strategies and initiatives that will unlock the capacity to develop and mine other minerals apart from copper.
The government recently said it expects mining firms to play a significant role in helping the country produce 1 million tons of copper next year.
Africa's second largest copper producer expects to produce 850,000 tons of copper in 2017 from 770,597 tons last year. Enditem
