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Mr Gladston said although the economics for nickel mining is less attractive, considering the price on the market, the company has decided to go ahead with the project in Zambia.
“We plan to start the mining of nickel in 2014 despite economics of nickel are not very attractive, the company’s boards of directors have approved the development of nickel mining,” he said.
Mr Gladston said this when he paid a courtesy call on Zambia Daily Mail managing director Isaac Chipampe last week.
He said Government should consider taxing nickel at an agreed level that will not negatively affect the company.
“If nickel is to be taxed at a higher level it may become uneconomic to develop and the company is observing what is happening with nickel on the market,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the company has embarked on huge community projects in Solwezi as part of its corporate social responsibility which involves the construction of 10,000 housing units a way of empowering its employees and the community as a whole through job creation.
Mr Gladston said housing project is under the home ownership scheme to be offered at lower rate mortgage targets employees and residents of Solwezi.
“The housing development at Kabitaka Hills will address the servicing of the new settlement with access roads, sanitation, water and social amenities such as a shopping centre, school and recreation facilities,” he said.
He said the development will be a trend-setter for a well-planned residential settlement, and fits into the proposed integrated development plan that will see the emergence of a new central business district for Solwezi.
The project is expected to create over 200 jobs for the local population and 2,500 staff at Kansanshi Mine have already applied to buy the houses.
About US$200 million will be invested at Kabitaka Hills to build 3,500 housing units, some five kilometres away from the mine, adding that the remaining US$300 million will cater for construction of 7,000 others at Trident.
Other projects are training the local farmers on various farming methods to improve their output and skills
