Zambia's northern Lunashya Copper Mines will resume production, projected at 20,000 tonnes a year, after shutting down a year ago, the China Nonferrous Metals Company said Tuesday.
"We are projecting to producing 20,000 tonnes of finished copper per annum but our target is 40,000 tonnes per annum" within five years, the company's chief executive Luo Xingeng said.
Lunashya stopped production in December last year, resulting in more than 1,700 job losses, after copper prices plunged last year.
The Chinese firm bought the mine for 50 million dollars (35 million euros) in June, and Luo said more than 2,000 workers had since been engaged.
The Chinese company also plans to invest 400 million US dollars in the Mulyashi and Baluba mines, he said.
Zambian President Rupiah Banda attended the launch, saying investors in the mining sector should improve wages of workers.
"While welcoming foreign investors with open hands, I also want to see that employees earn reasonable pay to enable them meaningfully develop and make progress as individuals and as families," Banda said.
Zambia's opposition leaders have lashed out at Chinese investors for abusing citizens of the poor southern African country.
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