By THANDIWE MOYO –

STAKEHOLDRES in the mining industry have staged a demonstration against being left out when making serious decisions affecting them.
They have since called on Government to include them starting from the consultation process until implementation level, in a quest to improve the legislative framework in the mining sector.
Stakeholders’ representative Aaron Ngonzo said this after staging a demonstration at Government Complex in Lusaka during the week at the just ended fifth Zambia Alternative Mining Indaba.
He said it was disheartening that despite mining being the main mineral sector in Zambia, communities did not benefit from it.
Mr Ngonzo noted that continued tax avoidance and evasion by mining companies robbed the country of billions of Kwacha that could be used to uplift their living standards.
He said the revision of the tax regime and removal of mineral royalty sharing mechanism only favoured the mining companies and not the communities.
Mr Ngonza said mining companies should not be given autonomy to divide the country by compromising the developmental agenda.
He said that he was concerned that Zambia did not have a specific mineral resource account where the proceeds from natural resources were deposited for developmental uses.
And Caritas Zambia representative Benard Mwape said the Government should demonstrate its accountability in the utilisation of mineral revenues through public reporting systems.
Mr Mwape said the Government needed to define and clarify the long term fiscal vision for the mining sector.
He said social and labour plans should be part of the requirement for any mine to get a mining licence and that;  resettlement or displacement of communities should be a last resort to avoid disruption of communities.