Copperbelt Trade & Development Forum - CTDF

17/12/2025

The people of Zambia who overwhelmingly made their submissions before the Constitutional Review Technical Committee have spoken through their elected Parliamentary representatives
It is therefore incumbent upon all well-meaning and patriotic Zambian citizens to embrace Bill 7 and respect the integrity of our Legislature, Judiciary and Executive
As a Copperbelt CSO Consortium we reaffirm our position that the Constitutional amendment process was executed within the established legal parameters and was construed in the best interest of all the stakeholders to strengthen our governance, democratic and electoral architecture

21/10/2025

CTDF COMMENDS GOVERNMENT FOR HARNESSING MINING LOCAL SUPPLIERS AND CONTRACTORS

The Copperbelt Trade and Development Forum (CTDF) has commended government for harnessing mining local suppliers and contractors through the long-awaited local content statutory instrument which takes effect on 1st January 2026

Since the privatisation of ZCCM over two decades ago, local mining suppliers and contractors have endured discriminatory and unfair business practices along the mining supply chain

As of 2021, the total value of goods and services that were consumed by the Zambian major mining companies was estimated at US$2.9 billion where the participation rate of Zambian owned firms was only 2.5% while locally manufactured goods provided by resident firms stood at 10.6%

The signing of the mining local content SI as provided under section 10 sub-sections (1) and (4) of the Geological Minerals Development Act No. 2 of 2025 will compel mining companies to preserve a minimum of 20% of their procurement budget for local suppliers of core goods and services which will progressively be increased to at least 40% within the first five years of it's implementation

In order to ensure the successful implementation of this progressive development, we hereby urge mining suppliers and contractors through their representative associations to ensure that they build their capacity in terms of quality control and to explore innovative financing options for their working capital

We also call on government to incentivize and stimulate the manufacturing sector for instance by further reducing the cost of doing business so that we reduce the heavy reliance on imported core mining goods and consumables along the mineral value chain

22/08/2024

https://www.moneyfmzambia.com/ctdf-calls-for-speedy-enactment-of-extractive-industries-transparency-initiative/

This is in a bid to improve mineral resource governance across the mining industry and optimize mineral revenue collection. The relaunching of Konkola Copper Mine operations is a wake-up call towar…

20/04/2023

https://www.lusakatimes.com/2023/04/19/minister-of-information-and-media-applauds-zambians-for-queuing-at-napsa-offices-to-access-retirement-benefits/

12/04/2023

UNPACKING THE 2023 1ST QUARTER MAIZE AND MEALIE MEAL CRISIS: MAPPING THE WAY FORWARD
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A lot of public sentiments and perceptions as well as government policy stand point have been circulating on both mainstream and social media in view of the mealie meal crisis but the fact of the matter still points to miscalculations in terms of public policy and decision making by the Minister of Agriculture.

To begin with, the current mealie meal crisis has been exacerbated by rampant exports of maize and mealie meal before the onset of the maize harvest season.

This is the major reason which has also triggered the rapid escalation in the price of mealie meal as well as shortages of the commodity of course not withstanding the reported incidents of smuggling.

The problem of mealie meal smuggling has not started under the New Dawn government.

It has been there from time immemorial, and since the introduction of the MMD market liberalization policies in 1990, Zambia has never witnessed such a mealie meal crisis or desperation where people are compelled to line up scrambling for mealie meal.

Yes, during the previous regime, there were spontaneous episodes of banning and lifting mealie meal export permits in an attempt to ensure that the national food security particularly mealie meal, was not compromised.

It is therefore unfortunate for the New Dawn government, through the Minister of Agriculture to exhibit such levels of adamance and arrogance by insisting that government will continue to export maize and mealie meal in the midst of a food crisis and at the expense of domestic consumption.

That is why as Copperbelt Trade and Development Forum (CTDF), we are strongly and relentlessly advocating for a predictable policy prescription that should suspend maize and mealie meal exports during the 4th and 1st quarter of each year which is a maize pre-harvest season.

Those intending to export maize or mealie meal can then be permitted to do so during the 2nd and 3rd quarter during which period maize would have been harvested in huge quantities and stockpiled by FRA.

Therefore, anything outside that, will always lead to a reoccurrence of the artificial scarcity and high prices of mealie meal a situation that will undermine Zambia's commitment towards the Sustainable Development Goals on ending hunger and poverty by 2030.

01/02/2023

Good Afternoon Family😊😊

Our Executive Director Mr Luchembe MK Chilufya will be live on KBN TV this evening at 9pm Discussing Governance and Accountability. Please do tune in and tell a friend to tell a friend to tune in as well😊

Luchembe MK Chilufya Anne Marie Phiri Mervis Nyirenda Kangwa T. Chizyuka Jemima Bweupe Female Voice

01/02/2023

WE HAVE HONOURED THE 10.5% SALARY INCREMENT FOR PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS - MUSOKOTWANE

Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr. SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, MP, says the Government of the Republic of Zambia has honoured and paid all eligible government employees the 10.5 percent salary increment stipulated in the collective agreement between Government and the workers unions who represent various categories of public service workers.

“The funding of K2, 734,100,261.23 (two billion, seven hundred thirty four million, one hundred thousand, two hundred and sixty one kwacha, twenty-three ngwee) for January 2023 salaries for Government workers is consistent with our commitment to enhance workers’ productivity as one of the conduits for attainment of our developmental objectives.

“I am also glad that from the time we assumed office, we have continued to pay salaries, timely,” Dr. Musokotwane, has said.

The total wage bill for salaries has moved from K2, 593,268, 929.92 (two billion, five hundred ninety three million, two hundred and sixty eight thousand, nine hundred and twenty nine kwacha, ninety two ngwee) in December 2022 to K2, 734,100,261.23 (two billion, seven hundred thirty four million, one hundred thousand, two hundred and sixty one kwacha, twenty-three ngwee) in January 2023.

Furthermore, the headcount for government employees has also increased from 285,300 in December 2022 to 286,218 in January 2023. The increase in the headcount includes 900 newly recruited personnel under Zambia Correction Services who have been placed on payroll.

END.

06/06/2022

KEY ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED AS GOVERNMENT RESUMES THE ISSUANCE OF MINING LICENSES

The announcement by Hon. Paul Kabuswe that the Ministry of Mines has finalised the auditing of mining rights, and that the issuance of new mining licenses will commence soon is worth commending.

As interested stakeholders, we are therefore eargerly awaiting for the full disclosure of the audit revelations in order for us to appreciate the work done and the interventions being put in place to mitigate the identified gaps.

In view of the earmarked mining license issuance process, we wish to emphatically and humbly request the Minister of Mines to issue a Statutory Instrument that will provide for the signing of Community Development Agreements (CDAs) to regulate corporate social investments as a pre-condition to the issuance of a mining license.

Secondly, one of the major reasons that led to the abuse of exploration as well as mining licenses was due to inadequate staffing levels for monitoring purposes, mobility restrictions due to few vehicles and poor funding at the various departments under the Ministry of Mines, and the Minister must ensure that these problems are resolved.

Finally, we are also urging government to expedite the process of geological mapping and avoid relying on exploration reports from potential mining investors as this model has led to the loss of government revenues where actual mining has been conducted under the disguise of exploration.

02/06/2022

On 1st June 2022, the Copperbelt Trade & Development Forum (CTDF) was among the key stakeholders identified by the Ministry of Mines in the review process of the Mineral Resources Development Policy.

As an organisation, we made three critical submissions in line with the African Mining Vision (AMV) and SDGs which the Ministry of Mines had omitted in the draft policy:-

1. Intergenerational equity by ensuring that a mineral revenue stabilisation fund is set aside as a reserve to ensure that future generations are not deprived of our current mineral wealth
2. Business & Human Rights so that the UN Guiding Principles on the role of State to PROTECT and the role of mining foreign investors to RESPECT human rights as well as REMEDY human rights violations is embedded in our Mineral Resources Development Policy
3. Sub-national mineral revenue transfers by ensuring that a mineral royalty sharing provision is prescribed.

Lastly we are also advocating that a specific policy guideline on the just energy transition is also embedded as an emerging issue to combat climate change.

This must compel companies to set up their own smart energy generation infrastructure such as the recent announcement by First Quantum Minerals in North-Western province to invest in renewable sources of solar and wind energy that will empower their mining operations away from the ZESCO national grid.

Currently, mining companies consume over 50% of Zambia's electricity which is also not reliable because it is dorminantly hydro and prone to draughts which can disrupt mining productivity thereby undermine the ambitious vision of attaining 3 million tonnes of copper production in the next 10 years.

Furthermore, the policy must also discourage investments towards thermal energy plants like Maamba Collieries and Collum Coal Mine as well as suspending all ear marked projects around the use of coal because it is one of the major drivers of climate change.

08/05/2022

CTDF POSITION ON THE PROPOSED ROADMAP BY VEDANTA RESOURCES TO REPOSESS AND REVAMPING KCM OPERATIONS
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The Copperbelt Trade and Development Forum (CTDF) has welcomed the proposed roadmap by Vedanta Resources Plc on resolving the prolonged KCM ownership dispute.

In view of the above we therefore urge government through the Hon. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, Hon. Paul C. Kabuswe together with the mining labour unions to take advantage of this progressive gesture by Vedanta Resources Plc.

As an organization, we strongly objected to the contraversial provisional liquidation as it abrogated the principles of international investment law and was to a larger extent inspired by political hegemony as evidenced by the reported abuse and dilapidation of the mining facility.

We are therefore in full support of the Minister's safeguard measures of ensuring strict conditions that will ensure that communities of Chingola and Chililabombwe benefit from KCM's corporate social responsibility as well as ensuring the payment of fair corporate income tax.

In order to achieve the above, we are therefore proposing for the revision of the current Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2015 through a Statutory Instrument to legislate corporate social investments and introduce the signing of community development agreements as one of the precondition for issuing mining licenses in line with best practice as the case is in Nigeria under Section 71, sub-section (c) of that country's Mines and Minerals Act, No. 28 of 2007.

We are aware that KCM was the most profitable units which accounted for 50% of the global profits from all subsidiary companies under Vedanta Resources, and yet the holding company had a bad track record in terms of tax evasion and human rights violations such as the famous pollution case of the mushishima stream in Chingola that ended up in the London Supreme Court

Therefore, as an organization that played a pivotal role in the production of the 2013 landmark research report (Copper Colonisation: A Case of KCM by Foil Vedanta), we commend Vedanta Resources renewed commitment in view of the proposed US$1 billion additional investment towards capital expenditure.

Furthermore, we are particularly delighted at the pronouncement of harmonising KCM's corporate social investments with the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) framework which must also be synergized with the local authorities integrated development plans (IDPs).