Promote local goods – Govt

GOVERNMENT has demanded the involvement of more local goods asopposed to foreign in business engagement between the mines and localsuppliers.
Vice-President Guy Scott said Government was concerned that while alot of suppliers to the mines were locals, most of the goods involved in their business with the mines were foreign.
Dr Scott said Government remained committed to ensuring that the localcontent programme, which sought to promote the interest of localsuppliers and contractors succeeded.
“It has turned out that suppliers are Zambians but the actual goodsare foreign coming from countries like South Africa.‘‘We have made ourselves dependent on foreign goods and this way, weare not getting the spin-offs from the mining industry benefiting thelocals,” Dr Scott said.
He said this in Kitwe yesterday when he opened a two-day MiningCopperbelt Trade and Expo Conference held at Mist Gardens.
Dr Scott said it was a pity that even with Government’s emphasis onlocal content, most of the goods involved were still foreign.
The vice-president reiterated Government’s commitment to supportingthe growth of the mining industry stressing that the nation ought tobe top in the region in mining.
Dr Scott, however, pointed out the need for mining firms to operatewithin the law in aspects of environmental requirements andpayments of statutory obligations.
Dr Scott said Government had the right to know what was taking place in the minesin order to protect the interests of employees.
The vice-president expressed happiness with the high level ofparticipation at the trade exhibition programme.
Co-organiser of the conference, David Asdown said the idea forstaging the trade exhibition was to create a platform for businesslinkages in the mining industry.
He said mining trade and expo conference had attracted more than 90exhibitors which included both local and international.
Dr Scott’s entourage comprised of Mines, Energy and Water DevelopmentMinister, Christopher Yaluma, Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakulaand Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge.TIMES OF ZAMBIA