The Small Scale Miners Association of Zambia-SSMAZ says small-scale miners are not contributing effectively to the economy because of the high operational costs, which are affecting their production.
Association President Kunda Chani said most of the miners are struggling because of the hiked operational costs noting that the majority of small-scale Zambian miners are not building wealth hence not providing value to the industry.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Chani said most small scale miners are not providing value to the industry because of the hiked pricing in diesel, which has led to downsizing of their workforce leading to increased price of the tools used.
“The biggest challenge that the industry is facing is stunt growth at the moment as the industry is not growing and building wealth thereby not contributing to the economy”, he said.
Chani noted that the production from the small-scale miners has dwindled due to the high operational costs adding that the larger mass of operation in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector is hand to mouth and when the cost of diesel goes up, the miners are greatly affected.
He said the amount of diesel consumed now has increased therefore the profit margins have reduced and cannot sustain the operations.
The association has since appealed to key stakeholders to double their efforts in terms of political will in order to help the miners enhance their operations, which will see the sector grow thereby increasing the growth of the economy.
