By JAMES KUNDA –

.YALUMA

GOVERNMENT will embark on a countrywide exercise of mapping out areas that contain untapped mineral deposits, Mines, Energy and Water Development Minister Christopher Yaluma has said.
Mr Yaluma said the Government wanted to identify and secure additional sites where mineral explorations could be conducted to add to the country’s mining life span.
Speaking when he featured on a Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) weekly programme dubbed Sunday Interview, Mr Yaluma said the exercise would commence in the next two months.
“Statistics indicate that only 60 per cent of the country has been identified with the mineral deposits which we are currently depending on.
“This means there is an excess of 40 per cent and with the improved technology, we are confident that when identified, these areas could provide additional mineral deposits,” he said.
Mr Yaluma singled out Luapula and Northern provinces as some of the areas which could still have untapped mineral deposits.
He said the move would also help investors identify other minerals which could bring in lucrative earnings and reduce dependency on copper mining.
Mr Yaluma also assured that no mine will close on account of the revised mineral royalty tax.
“We have engaged in serious dialogue centered on reaching a win-win situation for both Government and the mines and the nation should rest assured that this discourse will yield the desired results for both parties,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Yaluma said several strategies are in place to improve the country’s fuel storage capacity in the long-term.
He said Government was constructing strategic fuel storage depots in the country while ensuring efficiency in the importation and refining of crude oil.
The minister has since assured the country of adequate fuel stocks on the market.