The CEO of the Chamber, Maureen J Dlamini, says there is still a huge potential for green fields operations with high grade copper and other minerals available for exploitation in that country.
She says Zambia is a key player in the global mining industry and is currently ranked 7th largest copper producer in the world. "We are pleased to note that the current government is willing to engage industry and the chamber in promoting the sector and further enhance its contribution to the economic advancement of the country. The chamber and the industry have been given the fora to interact with government on various policy related issues."
The main challenges to the industry include high energy and transport costs, a highly regulated environment, the fact that mining involves long term investment and skills shortages. "Zambia is politically stable and has been for the past 49 years and will continue to be so, providing a stable environment for investors both local and foreign to operate in the sector," Dlamini says.
"The industry itself is pooling its resources with the Chamber, government and training institutions to come up with skills development programmes to increase and improve the skills base of the sector. In so doing we are providing a pool of resources that the new investors can employ when starting their operations."
Dlamini says the Chamber's message at CBM-TEC in Kitwe will be that all countries in the world now appreciate that they need new technology, technical expertise and funds from other countries for them to develop their own economies. CBM-TEC will help to create stakeholder linkages with various players in the country and abroad with a view to establishing productive partnership.
Main conference topics are:
For more information, go to www.cbm-tec.com.
