Mon, 21 Aug 2017 12:48:51 +0000
By Aaron Chiyanzo
THE Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) has been warned against rushing into drastic actions with potential to cripple the national economy and put the livelihoods of people at risk, People’s Alliance for Change (PAC) president Andyford Banda has advised.
Last week, CEC cut off power supply to Mopani Copper Mines following a dispute over electricity tariffs, forcing the mining company to withdraw its underground workforce to avoid loss of life.
CEC has, however, restored power supply to the mine, arising from resolutions made at a meeting.
But Mr Banda has advised CEC to avoid rushing into drastic decisions that had the potential to cripple the country’s economy.
He urged CEC management to find an amicable way of sorting out the dispute with the mining company without affecting employees.
Mr Banda said that sabotaging power supply to the mines was tantamount to crippling the country’s economy as production was greatly affected.
“Cutting power to that big mine means that production will go down and the country won’t be able to benefit from the revenue that it is supposed to collect,” he said.
He said it was sad to have non-operational mines when Copper prices had hit the highest peak on the London Stock Exchange at $6,433 per tonne.
