Group raises the alarm on further delays on payment of contractors by Vedanta

The Advocates for National Development and Democracy (ANDD) has expressed concern that contractors owed by the Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) have reportedly not yet been paid.

ANDD Executive Director, Samuel Banda, wondered why contractors were not yet paid despite an announcement made by Vedanta that it had committed over US$250 million to settle arrears owed to contractors and suppliers by KCM.

Banda told journalists on Saturday that his organisation and other stakeholders had been urging the government to deal with this matter once and for all.

“If Vedanta Resources had already taken over the operations of KCM, such things would not had been happening.

“Vedanta had committed over US$250 million to settle arrears owed to contractors and suppliers by KCM and we expect the new dawn administration to take advantage of Vedanta’s commitment and fully hand over KCM to Vedanta Resources so that contractors and suppliers could be cleared the money that KCM is owing them,” he said.

Banda recalled that government indicated that it was going to conclude the remaining legal processes and fully handover KCM back to Vedanta Resources.

“But that never happened! We, don’t even know when the government will withdraw the provisional liquidator at KCM and officially fully handover the mining asset to the investor.
These are people’s lives we are talking about here, and so, government should act responsibly,” he said.

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