REOPENING OF MINES CHEERS DODIA

ECONOMIST Yusuf Dodia says getting all the country’s mines up and running is extremely important as it is a major income generating factor to the economy.

Mr. Dodia said getting Mopani Copper Mine and Konkola Copper Mine back on track is a win-win situation for everyone.

Speaking to The Scoop, Mr. Dodia said when mines were not running, it entailed that the country was not generating resources or that jobs were not available.

He explained that closing operations on mines impacted negatively on the economy and created a serious recession.

He stated that it was imperative to open up mines especially Mopani and Konkola Copper Mines which were placed under care and maintenance for a while.

He explained that having these mines open and running is important despite the Zambian people risking benefiting to a minimal extent given that the mines were not employing as many people as they used to in the past.

“We are currently not getting as much investment as we did in the past, through mines”, Mr. Dodia said.

He said what was of paramount importance was that the country will accrue benefits from the export proceeds as Mopani and Konkola Copper Mines reopened.

He was of the view that there was a need to export as much as possible for Zambia to benefit from export earnings.

He added that getting Mopani Copper Mine back on track would be a win-win situation for everyone.

The new investor, International Resources Holding, has so far injected US$ 130 million into Mopani Copper Mines, demonstrating a strong commitment to the Mines growth.