Government to Roll Out Small-Scale Mining Fund

Government is moving to strengthen mining output and meet national productivity targets through a new Small-Scale Mining Fund designed to empower artisanal and small-scale miners across the country.

Speaking to ZNBC News, Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development Permanent Secretary Dr Hapenga Kabeta said the ministry is putting the finishing touches to the regulations needed to bring the Fund into operation. He described the facility as a dedicated vehicle for building capacity and lifting production among small-scale operators.

Dr Kabeta said the empowerment fund would play a central role in developing the artisanal and small-scale mining sector over the coming five years. Guidelines drawn up during the last sitting of Parliament, he explained, will be given legal force through a Statutory Instrument, ensuring that support is transparent, merit-based and guided by clear qualification criteria for applicants.

According to Dr Kabeta, the first phase of the programme will prioritise established artisanal miners who have demonstrated genuine growth potential, allowing government to channel resources where they are most likely to yield results.

The announcement has been welcomed within the sector, though with calls for urgency. Association of Zambian Women in Mining President Namakau Kaingu urged government to accelerate the rollout of mining policies and deliver concrete support to small-scale miners during President Hakainde Hichilema's second term.

Ms Kaingu said miners had waited patiently through years of reform under the New Dawn administration, and were now looking for tangible action on the ground.