Ministry-size Miners Request Extension

Some small-scale miners have pleaded with the government not to withdraw their licenses since they have not paid the required license payments for their mining operations.

However, JOSEPH MWEWA, the president of the Federation of Small Scale Miners, has asked the government to take into account allowing them five months to fulfill their financial responsibilities.

According to Mr. MWEWA, the COVID 19 pandemic epidemic has caused financial difficulties for the majority of the miners.

The majority of his members, according to him, haven’t paid in a year since they’ve been having trouble keeping up with expenses.

A payment extension for their license payments, according to Mr. MWEWA, would be a relief for his members, he told ZNBC news in an interview.

This week’s Monday saw the announcement of SAMUEL MAANGO, director of the mining cadastre department, that the government had identified defaulters to whom default warnings will be sent, with a 30-day response period.

The concerned mining rights holders have been in default by failing to pay yearly fees for more than three years, while other holders engage in mining activities without the appropriate equipment.