De output van Afrika's grootste koperproducent groeide afgelopen jaar sterk tot 697.860 ton, ondanks de sluiting van enkele mijnen vroeg in het jaar als reactie op de financiële crisis. De prijs van koper is inmiddels naar US $ 6.880 gestegen. Frederick Bantubonse, algemeen directeur van de "Chamber of Mines of Zambia"geeft aan dat de regering zich moet richten op het herstellen van het vertrouwen van de investeerder nadat de royalties gestegen waren naar 3% (van 0,6%), de variabele winstbelasting naar 15% was gestegen en de vennootschapsbelasting van 25% naar 30%. "Zambia had nog veel sneller kunnen groeien" aldus Bantubonse.
LUSAKA - Copper output in Zambia, Africa's top producer, rose 14% to 697 860 t last year, but output was hampered by the closure of some mines after the global financial crisis unfolded.
Zambia has previously said copper production could hit one-million tons by 2011 as new mines come on stream and expansions and upgrades take place at existing mines.
Frederick Bantubonse, the general manager of the Chamber of Mines of Zambia, said that to boost output quicker, the southern African nation's government should restore investor confidence, which was eroded by the introduction of higher taxes in 2008.
The taxes included a 15% profit variable tax, an increase in mineral royalties to 3% from 0,6% and a rise in corporate tax to 30% from 25%.
"The increase in production could have been higher without the global economic crunch which forced some mines to close down," Bantubonse said.
"The price of copper is good but there is need to quickly resolve the problems arising from the new mining legislation (taxes) which has affected investments," he said.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was trading at $6 880/t at 12:22 GMT compared with $6 810 at the close on Friday.
Zambia's central bank said copper exports jumped to 675 384 last year from 587 125 t the previous year.
Cobalt production rose to 5 879 t from 4 617 t in 2008, and exports rose to 5 868 t in 2009 from 4 610 t, the Bank of Zambia said.
Copper mining is Zambia's economic lifeblood and the mines are a major employer in the country of 12-million people. Some foreign mining companies in Zambia include London-listed Vedanta Resources, Glencore International of Switzerland and Metorex of South Africa.
Edited by: Reuters
