Kansanshi Mine Sponsors a Trade Visit to Congo DR for 31 Local Business Entities

Kansanshi Mine PLC has sponsored a delegation of business entities on a trade mission to the Democratic Republic Congo in a bid to stimulate trade between the two countries.

Kansanshi Mine General Manager, Anthony Mukutuma said the company realizes that sustaining livelihood and businesses beyond the mining activities must continue hence the need to look for business opportunities outside the country for the local businesses through the chamber of commerce.

The mining company has funded a trip of 31 local business entities within the province to visit Lubumbashi on a trade mission at a cost of 85 thousand United States dollars.

Mr Mukutuma commended North-Western chamber of commerce, trade and industry for its contribution towards making local business entities competitive on the market.

He said this in Solwezi yesterday during a sendoff ceremony of the North-Western chamber of commerce, trade and industry delegation to Lubumbashi in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on a trade mission visit.

Mr Mukutuma said the chamber has ensured that local business entities compete favourably on the market in terms of pricing and quality of services and getting supply contracts at Kansanshi mine based on merit.

“You have done a lot of work also in making sure that local businesses get training on how to write the required tender documents that they need when soliciting or looking for businesses which is very positive,” Mr Mukutuma said.

“When the chamber approached us that they have an opportunity to go outside the country to start with Lubumbashi to sale their business ideas and look for trade in agriculture and other activities they are involved in, we were very excited because we saw it as an opportunity to get that sustainability of livelihood and businesses beyond mining life span,” Mr Mukutuma said

And North-Western Chamber of Commerce President, Mukumbi Kafuta thanked the mining company for giving the local business community an opportunity to go and interact with the business community in Congo DR as such will stimulate trade between the two countries and create wealth as well as job creation.

Mr Kafuta said the objective of the visit is to go and expose the local business community to Congo DR trade market which will include touring of the biggest mines, agriculture activities and market projects taking place in that country.

“We also intend to have government to business meetings where the government officials from Congo are going to explain about investment policies in their country, taxation structures among other issues. So we hope to come up with tangible trade relationships after this visit,” he said