The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has raised concern over recent policy changes in Zambia’s mining sector, warning that they risk weakening the country’s revenue base and undermining long-term national interests.
Government this year introduced two major policy shifts, the suspension of export taxes on precious minerals and gemstones through Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 4 of 2025 in January, citing low local absorption capacity and declining competitiveness among local firms, and the introduction of export tax exemptions on copper concentrates for selected companies through SI No. 47 of 2025 in June.
CTPD Research Associate for Extractives, Stephen Kambani, questioned whether the country is acting in its long-term interest by adopting such measures.
“Zambia has, for years, positioned itself as a leading global supplier of emeralds, yet it continues to miss opportunities for domestic value addition,” said Mr. Kambani in a statement issued to RCV News in Lusaka today.
He noted that copper remains Zambia’s primary export earner, and suspending export taxes on concentrates has direct implications for government revenue.
Dr. Kambani cautioned that the temporary suspension running from June to October 2025 could lead to substantial treasury losses, especially with projected exports of over 255,000 metric tonnes of concentrates.
He added that Zambia already has more than 3 million metric tonnes of smelting capacity, making the justification for such exemptions unclear.
Dr. Kambani has since urged government to resist undue pressure from multinational corporations seeking quick access to the country’s critical minerals, and instead strengthen policies that promote domestic value addition and limit the export of raw minerals.
By Margaret Mwanza
