Tue, 30 Jan 2018 12:50:19 +0000
By ROGERS KALERO
A CHINESE company running Jifumpa Copper Mine in Kasempa district of North-Western Province is to spend more than K400,000 on the construction of a market and purchase of furniture for Jifumpa Primary School.
RUIDA Investments Limited General Manager Mei Dequn said the construction of the market and purchase of the school furniture for the school were some of the projects which his company had budgeted for, in the 2018 budget.
Mr Dequn said in an interview in Kitwe that, the company could have done bigger projects in its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for 2018, but it was facing challenges in its operations because the area was not connected to the National Grid.
“We are facing challenges in our operations because the area is not connected to the National Grid and so we have to buy diesel for the electricity generators for our operations. We also have problems of poor road infrastructure hence vehicles often break down.
“However, despite these challenges, we thought we should give something to the community. So in our 2018 budget, we have budgeted K400,000 for the construction of the market and purchase of furniture for the school,” Mr Dequn said.
He said the construction of a market and purchase of the school furniture was the response of the company after the community had made a request.
He said his company would strive to live in harmony with the community in the area because Zambia’s relationship with China had been long standing.
He said, as a way of strengthening the relationship with Zambia, some Chinese Investors had been sponsoring youths to study in Chinese universities, saying his company was currently sponsoring Maggie Kadansa who was pursuing Civil Engineering at ZheJzang A and F University.
“As a way of strengthening our relationship with Zambia, we are also sponsoring Zambian youths to study in China. Right now, we are sponsoring Maggie Kadansa who is pursuing a four year course in civil engineering at ZheJzang A and F University.
“Our relationship with Zambia dates from a long time and so it is important that we maintain it. If we have differences in culture, we should explain to each other in a better way as opposed to being hostile,” he said.
