Fri, 07 Apr 2017 09:54:35 +0000 BY MAILESI BANDA GOVERNMENT has urged First Quantum Minerals (FQM) to follow through with its planned US$1.5 billion investment to expand its processing and smelting capacity. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, Christopher Yaluma, said the company was operating on a stable policy environment. He said Government would put in place measures to make the mining sector investor friendly. “We maintain a close and regular dialogue with the Zambia Chamber of Mines; as new policies emerge we must sit-down and discuss them with the chamber so that we don’t introduce measures which inadvertently damage the industry,’’ he said. He said FQM needed to double the capacity of its copper sulphide concentrator plant in the next five years in order to maintain current production levels as the proportion of copper oxide dropped off. He said the plant expansion would require investment in additional smelting capacity and would extend the life […]
