• PROCESSED copper being hauled at the Konkola Copper Mine Plc Nchanga smelter in Chingola at the weekend. Picture by KENNEDY MUPESENI

By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
KONKOLA Copper Mines Plc (KCM) has put in place measures aimed at reducing production costs to remain in business amid low international commodity prices.
The mining conglomerate has also observed that the recent adjustment in the mining tax regime would make mining operations viable.
Vice president –local economic development, David Paterson said the measures that the company has put in place would see production costs reduced.
Mr Paterson said when a team of journalists toured KCM operations in Chingola at the weekend, that the mining giant would continue striving to ensure that production was sustained.
He said this would be done through the utilisation of other sources of copper ore such as the open pit mining after putting the underground mining under care and maintenance.
“The   developments regarding the international prices have prompted us to put in place measures to make the company profitable.
“We have future plans to develop Mimbula Open Pit within Nchanga and other upper ore bodies to sustain production at low costs,” he said.
Mr Paterson said the recent move by Cabinet to review the mining tax was likely to bring stability in the mining sector.
KCM   general manager –sales and marketing Smnath Ghosh said the company would continue improving the quality of copper to remain competitive.
Mr Ghosh said Zambia was a reputable copper brand. “We have no control on copper prices, our focus is to produce and prepare for the worst.
“Zambia is a reputable copper brand, everyone knows about the country, as copper producing which puts copper produced in the country at an advantage,” Mr Ghosh said.
Recently, KCM put Nchanga underground mine under care and maintenance due to low commodity prices on the international market.