President Edgar Lungu says regulatory agencies should work towards the common goal of promoting safe and healthy exploitation of the mineral resources.
President Lungu said it goes without saying that strategies, which promote sustainability in the mining sector through binding regulatory frameworks, will optimise gains from the sector for the benefit of the country.
He said his administration has been enforcing legislation to ensure that exploration and mining only takes place upon approval of the relevant environmental impact assessments.
Mr Lungu said that the ministry of mines and minerals development is working closely with respective authorities to ensure that mining companies with environmental liabilities are provided with a framework to guarantee environmental security.
He was speaking during the official opening of the 2018 Copperbelt Mining, Agriculture, Industrial, Networking and enterprise Expo in Kitwe.
