‘PROCURE MORE GOLD PROCESSING EQUIPMENT’

By AARON CHIYANZO GOVERNMENT should procure more gold exploration and processing equipment for artisanal miners to increase production of the mineral, Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) President Robert Mwanza has said. Mr Mwanza said it was elating that the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) had bought 478.76 kilogrammes of gold at a cost of K604.3 million since last December. He said with the goodwill from the central ank, ZCCM-IH through its subsidiary ZCCM Gold Company must increase gold production in the country. Mr Mwanza said the handover of gold exploration and processing equipment to cooperatives to artisanal miners that ZCCM Gold embarked on was a step in the right direction. He however said it was important to acquire more equipment to increase gold production in the country. “There is need to procure more gold exploration and processing equipment for artisanal miners in order to increase production of the precious mineral. BoZ has proved to be ready for the gold being mined so all we have to do is to increase production,” Mr Mwanza said. He said Government would only realise its agenda of ensuring that locals benefit from gold deposits if it invested in artisanal miners. The equipment earlier bought by Government under the SADC Trade Related Facility Project includes gold detectors, sluice boxes, panning dishes and shaking tables. ZCCH-IH is also providing mining and processing technical support to gold mining cooperatives to enable artisanal miners improve their production in an environmentally sound manner.