By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –
THE NORTH Westerm Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for clear and consistent policies if the economy is to remain bouyant and enable the region achieve the targetted one million tonnes of copper by the year 2015.
With the expansion of the US$600 million smelter by Kansanshi Mine, the coming on stream of Kalumbula Mine this year and developments at Barrick Lumwana Mine would likely push up copper production to a million tonnes.
Chamber president Mathias Mutupa said clear and consistent policies were required from Government for the country to achieve the desired growth in 2014, and allow the mining industry to execute their planned investments.
Mr Mutupa said in an interview that a predicable business environment would enable companies such as Kansanshi Mine, Kalumbila and Lumwana Mine ramp-up their production capacity effectively.
Mr Mutupa said a predicable business environment was key to instilling the required and desired confidence in the economy. He said clear and predicable policies would enable the business community to plan and project in the medium to long term unlike in 2013 where policies pronouncements were inconsistent.
