Forty-five Chinese-owned companies have invested more than 5.1 billion U.S. dollars in Zambia’s mining sector.

Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Zambia, Jin Jun, said the companies have collectively employed about 19,000 local workers.

He noted that China remains the largest export market for Zambia’s refined copper, accounting for more than 15 percent of the country’s total copper production.

Speaking during a Tax Compliance and Risk Management Workshop in Lusaka today, Mr. Jun revealed that dewatering at 28 Shaft at Luanshya Copper Mine has been completed, with production expected to begin in September this year.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane said government remains committed to providing an enabling, predictable, and transparent environment in which the private sector can thrive.

In a speech read on his behalf by Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Prudence Koama, Dr. Musokotwane emphasized that government is focused on ensuring economic growth that is sustainable, inclusive, and environmentally responsible, supported by strict adherence to the rule of law in taxation.

President of the Chinese Mining Enterprise Association in Zambia, Wang Jingjun, added that Chinese mining companies are committed to contributing to Zambia’s national development through tax compliance.

Credit: ZNBC