Ministry of mines has temporarily closed new applications for mining rights for a period of six months.
The closure is with effect from 1st July to 31st December, 2007.
Announcing this at press briefing in Lusaka today, mines minister Kalombo Mwansa
said the temporary closure of new applications for mining rights is being effected
in order to complete the transfer from manually operated mining rights licensing
system to computerized cadstre system.
He said during this period, the existing data must be cleaned of all spatial and compliance irregularities.
The minister said however that applications pertaining to licence renewals and transfers will not be affected as the ministry is expected to continue to attend to them.
Meanwhile, Dr Mines minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa says mining companies in Zambia has embraced the concept of corporate social responsibility seriously.
Dr Mwansa said the mining companies, especially large scale, have taken corporate
social responsibility seriously as seen in their provision of various services to the local communities in which they are operating.
The minister said at a press briefing in Lusaka today that government will continue
to do everything possible to encourage mining companies to plough back part of their
profits to improve the welfare of local communities.
He said mining companies will report to the ministry of mines and minerals development on their community service activities at the end of each quarter in order to keep the public informed.
Dr Mwansa said lack of public awareness on what mining companies are doing to plough
back part of their profits to the communities has led to complaints that Zambians
are not benefiting from the exploitation of the mineral resources the country is
endowed with.
