Govt is being bullish with mines, admits Mwanakatwe

Minister of Finance Margaret Mwanakatwe says government is being bullish with the mining sector because it wants the sector to contribute more to Zambia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Speaking during the Africa CEO Forum organized in conjunction with the Swiss Government in Lusaka, Mrs. Mwanakatwe says this is why government is encouraging new investments in the mining sector.

She says there is still great potential in Zambia’s mining sector, but that government wants to see more value addition to the Country’s mineral resource.

Mrs Mwanakatwe states that to this effect, she has in the 2019 national budget reduced Corporate Tax from 35 percent to 15 percent for mining firms that venture into value addition.

And Medland Health Services Chief Executive Officer Mohamed El Sahili has wondered why Zambia cannot in future host the Africa CEO Forum.

Dr. Sahili says the fact that Zambia is open for business and investment, it should lead by example in sharing its experiences, failures, challenges and opportunities at the continental level.

He states that Medland Health Services Group believes Zambia is the economic hub for the region.