12 COOPERATIVES STEER GOLD MINING

SMALL- SCALE miners in Rufunsa and Petauke have formed 12 cooperatives to formalise gold mining in the areas.

This is under a Government pilot project meant to enable the country derive maximum benefits from the sub-sector.

Trade Related Facility (TRF) Zambia Project in partnership with the Ministries of Mines and Commerce, Trade and Industry would support the project to unlock the potential of gold mining currently characterised by illegal activities.

The TRF is a 1.4 million euros European Union -supported project aimed at assisting Zambia implement commitments under the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

This includes contributing towards industrial development and trade facilitation.

According to TRF Zambia project manager, Simon Ng’ona, the nine and three cooperatives in Petauke and Rufunsa respectively project.

He was speaking recently at a media induction meeting in Lusaka.

“Among the sub sectors in the mining industry where Government has not had grip is in gold mining so through interventions of the project, geological audits where conducted in the eastern belt and revealed that there is gold and that is why there is illegal mining,” he said.

Mr Ng’ona said the project was building the capacity of the miners to enable them operate legally.

He said equipment for mining is also being provided to ensure efficiency. were on

apilot