The Zambia Chamber of Mines has urged Zambians to download its report on Mineral Royalty Tax, after strong endorsement by leading business personalities, who said the report would promote greater understanding of a complex issue which affects them.
The report , A guide to understanding Mineral Royalty Tax (MRT), has already been distributed widely, and is available on the Chamber’s website at www.mines.org.zm
Stakeholders who have welcomed its publication, saying it will help to promote informed comment, include Osbert Sikazwe, Dean of the School of Mines at the University of Zambia; Maybin Nsupila, CEO of the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM); Yusuf Dodia, Chairman of the Private Sector Development Association (PSDA); prominent Lusaka businessman Mark O’Donnell; and Jackson Sikamo, country manager for Chibuluma Copper Mines.
Osbert Sikazwe, Dean of the School of Mines, said: “The report will help the public to understand the wider operations of the mining sector, and to appreciate the challenges faced by the industry. It will also help people to understand how policy is formulated to enhance the growth of the industry.”
Maybin Nsupila, CEO of the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM), said any measure intended to promote debate and understanding of MRT is welcome. “The discourse by many people has been on the physical contributions the sector makes to the country’s economic growth, without understanding how the linkages ultimately benefit the country. The MRT report will give people a broader and more informed perspective.”
Yusuf Dodia, Chairman of the Private Sector Development Association (PSDA), said: “Mining plays a pivotal role in economic growth. While there have been challenges on policy as well as tax changes, there has been little or no understanding of the challenges faced by the industry. The MRT report will widen debate and promote a more informed view.”
Jackson Sikamo, country manager for Chibuluma Mines, a division of Metorex, said: “The report will help all stakeholders to appreciate what MRT is, and what its implications on fiscal policy are. It will to better-informed dialogue and debate, which are necessary for the country to come up with equitable taxation policies.”
Prominent Lusaka businessman, and Chairman of Union Gold Investment, Mark O’Donnell, welcomed the release of the report, given the competition Zambia faces from other commodity-producing countries. These include the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has “maximized the benefits realised from the mining sector, spurred by various incentives which have increased foreign direct investment”.
Chenai Mukumba, international centre coordinator for Consumer Unity and Trust Society (Cuts), described the release of the report as timely. “The initiative will help ease the misunderstanding among various players, especially the citizenry, who lack information yet are the ultimate beneficiaries of the mineral wealth.”
Peter Sinkamba, Development Planner/Environmental Protection Activist on the Copperbelt, said: “The MRT report will help to strengthen citizens’ awareness, and promote dialogue on challenges, contributions and shortcomings on policy formulation that might stifle the effective contributions of the mining and copper sector to the country’s growth.”
Issued by:
Talent Ng’andwe
Communications Manager
Zambia Chamber of Mines
Email: ngandwet@mines.org.zm
Tel: +260211-258383
Mobile: +260977381309
