By ROGERS KALERO
MINE suppliers and contractors have appealed to Government to consider cancelling the interests on all liabilities to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) and Workmen Compensation as they were incurred due to the failure by the mines to meet their obligations.
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The mine suppliers and contractors say that money which they were owed by Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) and Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) for goods and services had not been paid hence their failure to meet their statutory obligations.
Association of Mine Suppliers and Contractors (AMSC) president Coster Mwaba said Government should cancel all the interests on all liabilities which the suppliers and contractors have incurred from the time MCM, and KCM started failing to pay them for their goods and services.
Mr Mwaba said during a meeting with Mines and Mineral Development Minister Paul Kabuswe that most mine suppliers and contractors were struggling because the two giant mining companies owed them a lot of money.
He said, now that the new dawn administration had achieved the debt restructuring, Government should consider giving relief to contractors and suppliers by cancelling interests on liabilities to ZRA, NAPSA and Workmen Compensation so that they could deal with the principal.
“Government was given a debt restructuring and so, it should also cancel the interests on all liabilities so that we only remain with the principal. The interests should be cancelled because mine contractors and suppliers incurred them due to non-payment by MCM and KCM,’’ Mr Mwaba said.
And Mr Mwaba has said mine contractors and suppliers were calling for a round table tripartite meeting with foreign investors and the government so that problems and challenges could be resolved.
He said the best way to resolve the problems and challenges which local contractors and suppliers were facing in doing business with foreign investors was to have a round table meeting so that all parties could agree the best way forward.
Mr Mwaba said when foreign investors meet Government officials, they promise a lot of things yet they were doing things which were making business difficult for local contractors and suppliers.
He said in most mining companies, suppliers and contractors were struggling to get orders and contracts while payments were also a being delayed, a situation which has been affecting the smooth operations of mine suppliers and contractors.”
“The problem is that these investors or mining companies they tell you good stories when you meet them as if everything is smooth, but when you come to us, we also tell you something else, contrary to what they tell you. So the best thing is to have a round table meeting so that we iron out everything.
“It is like in a football pitch where there is a referee and the player. In this case, the referee is the government and the players are the mining companies. These mining companies only listen to the government, they do not listen to us, as mine suppliers and contractors,’’ Mr Mwaba said.
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