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ZAMBIA Losing Over $500m YEARLY
ZAMBIA is losing more than US$500 million a year in the gemstone industry due to a poor export monitoring system, Mines Minister Wilbur Simuusa has said.
The minister has also called for increased supervision in the export of base metals in the mining industry to enable the country realise full benefits from the global market.
Mr Simuusa said in Chingola that, the gemstone industry only declared $2 million as revenue last year, when the world market had declared about $700 million as the value of the gemstones from Zambia.
He said if well harnessed and reorganised, the gemstones industry could double the country’s revenue and make it one of the richest in the world.
Government has always been issuing export permits but there was no monitoring system to check what was being exported.
Mr Simuusa, who was addressing Mine Suppliers and Contractors Association of Zambia (MSCAZ) and the Zambia Building and General Contractors Association (ZBGCA) members at Nchanga Mine Club on Monday evening, said Zambia was losing alot of revenue through the lack of a proper monitoring system.
He said there was need to account for the minerals which were being exported if the country is to maximise the benefits, adding that everyone in the industry would begin to see the value to the nation if the system was closely monitored.
“It has always been a paradox that Zambia is one of the richest in natural resources, but it is ranked among the poorest in the world,” Mr Simusa noted.
Government was in addition, working on a procedure aimed at empowering Zambian Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the mining sector which will be announced soon.
He further called for increased production which was one of the areas lacking in the mining sector and once doubled, revenue would also be doubled.
At the same occasion, MSCAZ president Fanuel Banda said the monitoring system would greatly assist the Government and the suppliers to keep track of what was happening in the mining industry as a whole.
Posted by
Foxy lady
January 18, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Wow that is a colossal amount to lose. But please can we please put in place measures that will address these issues and not just make rhetorical statements we need to start enjoying the resources the almight has endowed us with.
keyser soze
January 18, 2012 at 12:43 pm
if we have poor monitoring system how then are we able to monitor how much we are losing? why do politicians like dreaming up figures.
Chisushi
January 18, 2012 at 12:56 pm
How can I avoid kunya ifisushi in bed?My wife is irritated of my uncontrollable emulsifying of gases from my asss..there is no pop or pweee sound but the sheets get polluted time & ‘en..help?
Exhaust Blown Diffuser
January 18, 2012 at 1:05 pm
It is understood some senior government officials be it former or current have shares in most of these gemstone mines and are in the fore front of evading tax.. 2012 is here we have to monitor gemstone exportation seriously..Also talk about the uranium in lumwana why are people so quiet about it..We know who are taking the uranium, bush was here, former US first lady mrs Clinton was also here
Exhaust Blown Diffuser
January 18, 2012 at 1:13 pm
Talk about the Uranium in lumwana also, why are people so quiet about it
Chimbwi No Plan
January 18, 2012 at 1:20 pm
This is a very serious issue & now someone brings his “visushi in bed” story here ha ha ha ha ha too much beAns chikalA u must b Namwanga. Anyway badala ba Simussa let’s just do it like Zamtel & reposes KAGEM.
Exhaust Blown Diffuser
January 18, 2012 at 1:44 pm
@keyser soze read the story again He said the international market declared the value of gemstones received from Zambia to be valued @ $700 million, while Companies in Zambia declared their sales to be valued @ $2 million . The difference is what the minister referred to as due to poor monitoring system
Exhaust Blown Diffuser
January 18, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Namwe ba Chisushi kanyeleni uko, we are talking real issues here, why bring up bed issues. Don’t be childish or maybe ulichisushi as a your name say..Open a facebook account and post that people will help you there not here
Miranda
January 18, 2012 at 2:06 pm
MA SENE-SENE HAVE BUILT MANSIONS IN SENEGAL & MALI, YET THE ROAD TO KAGEM MINES IS STILL A GRAVEL ROAD. EVERY FRIDAY, TRUNKS OF STONES ARE TAKEN FROM GRIZZLY MINES (OWNED BY GUNASSE) & FLOWN OUT OF THE COUNTRY. WHEN U CHECK AT MINISTRY OF MINES THEY DECLARE ZERO TONNES MINED SINCE THE DAY THEY OPENED. IF THEY MINED ZERO TONNES ALL THESE YEARS HOW DO THEY PAY FOR RUNNING COSTS OR THEIR WORKERS?
Iyeeeeee!!
January 18, 2012 at 3:07 pm
The difference between $700m and $2m is not $500m.. i guess we are losing more than the declared value….
Mumena
January 18, 2012 at 3:14 pm
@Exhaust Blown Diffuser…Don’t bwebweta when u know nothin.FYI there is no uranium production in Lumwana.Yes uranium is there but no processing of it.You jst don’t handle uranium like Nshima,it requires a lot of safety precautions like vacuum packaging containers…so I would urge you go & pay a visit to Lumwana & don’t mislead pipo here chikALA…@chisushi…pweeeeeh.lol!
MUNYELO PWETE!
January 18, 2012 at 3:43 pm
@ CHISUSHI! INSTEAD OF UKUNYA IFISUSHI, START UKUNYA MAFI PA BED!
Major General KV
January 18, 2012 at 3:49 pm
Indeed we are loosing a lot of money,but what measures is the govt putting in place? ba simusa mwilaladafye do something.
Peter Bungane
January 18, 2012 at 3:57 pm
I wish to concur with the Minister of Mines and I contend that it could be even as high as $800million annually. The problems are of two types:
1. Unscrupulous Indian business owners who have falsified work permits for the so called huge numbers of Indian expatriates. The so called ‘gemologists’ and ‘geologists’ are actually there to perform security work on the mine, from Nepal the Gurkhas (Minister’s of Home Affairs and Defence please note you have foreign military personnel operating in your backyard).
2. West African businessmen,the infamous Senegalese living in Kitwe’s Bulangililo, Riverside and Parklands who fund the illegal miners that enter emerald restricted mining areas. Look into these matters and save Zambia the Millions of Dollars it is losing.
mbeba
January 18, 2012 at 5:38 pm
I think the mines Minister that the solution to this problem was and has already been found all what is remaining is implementation. His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata mentioned that all mineral resources from Zambia should go through Bank of Zambia for clearance that’s when they can be sent away or otherwise. whatever has happened to this pronouncement Mr. Simuusa should know better otherwise this problem will be forever be with us.
Ayatollah
January 18, 2012 at 5:50 pm
The problem of emeralds in Zambia has not just begun. Once upon a time John Winston claimed that he could make diesel out of grass, especially grass from Chiawa. The Jew became an exporter of fine emeralds from Israel! On close examination, it was discovered that the gems were from Zambia. Simuusa I wish you well in whatever you are trying to do. We have been mere spectators long before Spector Kalaki was born. I saw clip on TVZ in which Fanwell Banda was addressing the same gathering. He had pledged to step aside at a meeting at Moba Hotel. He is still at large?
Philipino
January 18, 2012 at 7:34 pm
Foreigners are killing us.Indians, lebanese, Senegalese, Nigerians are crooks, the net result of them being here is a big minus. Why do we habor so many coolies? The only solution is to suspend the extraction of emeralds given that we are taking such a huge loss. Training Zambains won’t stop the huge losses. Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe 15 yrs ago,thrive becoz they have the right mix, indigenous blacks and whites controlling the economy, Zambia, Malawi,Tanzania, DRC, Angola are poor becoz of indians, lebanese, dirty whites-portugese greeks, control their economies. Not a single country in Africa that is in the hands of coolies aka indians is prosperous, all are poor with high levels of corruption, poaching, and body parts juju. Indians go back to india.
mark andi
January 18, 2012 at 8:09 pm
talk is cheap bafikala do something, you are the same screwers licking their asses.
mark andi
January 18, 2012 at 8:19 pm
bachikala ba mumena, they are telling you that uranium is there. if you can’t handle does not mean it can’t be handled. makandi yobe
Michael kaoma
January 18, 2012 at 9:19 pm
11kg emerald was recently displayed,having been mined in Brazil,and cut in India.
It was appraised as being worth $1.5m,but will fetch so much more on auction.
Emerald mining is shrouded in secrecy because the powers that be in this country have been beneficiaries.
Baldwin Nkumbulu made millions exchanging emeralds with sweets and sugar from unsuspecting Lufwanyama residents.
Grizzly Mining,(owned by one Issa Galedo),has more machinery than even Luanshya Copper Mine. How much does he pay in taxes?
punkheni
January 18, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Simuusa seems to be a bright tonga than HH but don’t wait too long to put in measures to curb this theft. Ensure that they declare the right value and don’t be bribed in the process. Maxwell Mwale must be diarhoeing now, he failed. Can you send away all those fake expartriate pakistans, indians and chinese that are doing labourer work and give those jobs to lambas in the area.
mrs XYZ_1980
January 19, 2012 at 1:45 am
where the country is losing out it only means there are certain individuals gaining!!
MINER
January 19, 2012 at 7:19 am
Meanwhile KCM has only offered 9% increament. Imagine 2 unions negotiating for a meagre 9% meaninig each union managed 4.5%. Idiiots.
daniel
January 19, 2012 at 10:35 am
ba chisushi are you normal
FORMERONETIME
January 19, 2012 at 10:35 am
OK
Ba JN KBP
January 19, 2012 at 11:05 am
ba pompwe muli fipuba