By CLOZZEN BIKALE
Mining investors investing in North Western Province have been challenged to respect the communities in which they are operating from and to plough back to the communities.
North Western Provincial Minister Robert Liefu says the Province is flooded with many mining investors and mining activities but development is not seen on the ground by the local people.
Mr Liefu said the Province needs more investors for they are the drivers of economic development and sustainable development growth.
He said that mines in the Province should work as a helping hand to Government in fostering economic development for the people of North Western Province.
The minister Said that communities in resource rich region expect that the resource should translates into social economic development through the provision of infrastructure development in education, health agriculture sector and social security sector.
He also said its Government responsibility to ensure that the local communities benefit from the mining operation and create more jobs for the local people as a benefit.
Mr Liefu Said this in a speech read for him by the Permanent Secretary Glandson Katambi during the official opening of the North Western Province Chiefs and Mining Indaba held under the theme: Enhanced development through sustainable use of natural resources in North Western Province amid Covid-19.
And Caritas Solwezi Director Father Noel Haaninga said North Western Province is well position for economic growth and development because of the minerals resources available.
He said that time for demanding for the right thing for local people from the mines investors is now.
Fr.Haaninga said that North Western Province is on the major contributor to the national treasury hence the need for the people to benefit through infrastructure development and social development activities.
“We are asking that wisdom we are beginning to use these resources and slowly we are beginning to see that our way of living is beginning to grow, but we can still do much more than what we do and this is the reason we are here,” he said.
