By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

THE National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) has praised Government and President Edgar Lungu in particular for taking a bold decision to revise the mining taxation regime which has helped to bring stability in the industry.
NUMAW president James Chansa said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that stability had been restored in the mining industry from the time Government made the decision to revise the mineral royalty tax.
Mr Chansa said the mining sector and the nation as a whole could be certain of improved copper productivity as involved players had now focused all their attention towards production.
He was hopeful that the mining industry would attain some level of growth within a short period to come because of the mineral royalty tax which was revised and the minimal stability for copper prices on the international market.
“Government took the right decision to revise the mining taxation regime because already, we have noted some level of stability in the industry,” he said.
Mr Chansa said all the threats for job cuts that characterised the mining industry had now died down and that mining houses were now focused on production.
“From the time the mineral royalty tax was revised, we have seen very minimal complaints by the mining houses and the issue now is for us workers to double our effort in improving copper production,” Mr Chansa said.
He said the union was now looking forward to mining houses reviving capital projects that were suspended at the height of the mineral royalty tax controversy.
Mr Chansa pledged the union’s support to Government’s effort of growing the mining industry.