Govt collected over 1.8 billion

GOVERNMENT COLLECTED OVER 1.8 BILLION KWACHA IN FORM OF MINERAL ROYALITIES FROM EXPORTS OF MANGANESE BETWEEN 2009 TO JULY 2010.

AND A TOTAL OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE TONNES OF MANGANESE WAS EXPORTED DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW.

DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINISTER OF MINES AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT MR GABRIEL NAMULAMBE SAID A TOTAL OF OVER 161 827 TONNES OF MAGANESE WAS PRODUECD.

AND MINES MINISTER MAXWELL MWALE HAS CALLED FOR INCREASED LOCAL AND FOREIGN PARTNERSHIPS IN MINING OF MAGANESE AS WELL AS VALUE ADDITION OF THE PRODUCT.

MR MWALE SAID IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT TWO SMELTERS HAVE SINCE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE COUNTRY THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THERE IS VALUE ADDITION FOR MANAGESE BEFORE ANY EXPORTS ARE MADE.

HE HOWEVER POINTED THAT THAT THERE IS NEED THAT BEFORE ANY EXPORTS OF THE PRODUCT, A PERMIT HAS TO BE ISSUED ADDING THAT TO THIS EFFECT THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND THE ZAMBIA REVENUE AUTHORITY HAVE BEEN ENGAGED TO MONITOR THESE TRANSACTIONS.

MEANWHILE, PARLIAMENT HEARD THAT A TOTAL OF 443 POLICE OFFICERS GRADUATED FROM KAMFINSA MOBILE POLICE TRAINING COLLEGE THIS YEAR OF WHICH 30 HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO STATE HOUSE.

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