By ROGERS KALERO
EMERALD Production Watch of Zambia (EPWOZ) president Musa Kafimbwa has said the pace at which the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development is moving to improve the Extractive Industry is worrying and has called on President Hakainde Hichilema to quickly make serious pronouncement regarding its future.
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Mr Kafimbwa says because of the slow pace at which the mines ministry was moving and the prolonged provision of clear direction regarding the extractive industry, Zambians in the extractive industry were feeling neglected.
Mr Kafimbwa said at a meeting held at the ministry of mines called by State House that if the extractive industry was well managed, the economic outlook of the country would change and would be able to pay its foreign debts as opposed to negotiating for a debt relief.
“As an organisation, we are calling on President Hakainde Hichileme to quickly make serious pronouncement regarding the future of the extractive industry in the country because currently stakeholders are in limbo as to what the authority want to do to the sector.”
“We are calling on President Hichilema to make serious pronouncement regarding the future of the extractive industry because the pace at which the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development officials are moving regarding the Extractive Industry is very slow ,’’ Mr Kafimbwa said
He said the small scale miners were still asking to have a meeting with the President Hichilema because they wanted to explain issues which officials at the ministry of mines may not tell him.
“We are grateful for that meeting but we still insist that we shoud meet the republican President. The President has met so many people including that Musician from the United States hence we think we need to be accorded chance so that we explain the challenges we are facing,’’ Mr Kafimbwa said
Mr Kafimbwa said he was hopeful that President Hichilema would intervene and ensure that things started moving in a right direction because his organisation was not expecting Zambians to face hardships especially with the available mineral resources such as emerald, Gold and Sugilite
“If the extractive industry was well managed, the economic outlook of the country would change and likely to help in debt repayment,’’ he said
Mr Kafimbwa said that despite the Head of State recently giving hope to the people and small scale miners on empowerment and development in the mines, the space at which things are moving was worrying.
“We shall never have a better Zambia if we don’t believe in ourselves. If we don’t manage our Godly given resources well
If we don’t maximise our taxes. For the past years all Auctions don’t attract our Zambian buyers and this buyers own this minerals and should be considered first,
“Foreign investors look at our buyers as criminals and to us it’s the other way round. We are tired of watching from the terraces we need our Godly share of benefits from our minerals,’’ he said
He said republican President spoke of 20 % of production to remain in the country for value addition but there was more to it
“We are not cursed but blessed. We need a better Zambia we need life. We need to protect our people who are called names by this investors. Those investors who may not want to eat with Zambians our Airports are there Exit please leave
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