Vedanta’s Zambian unit will press ahead with expansion plans even as the government of Africa’s second-biggest copper producer increased mining royalties, and has undertaken not to fire any workers. The assurance by Konkola Copper Mines, following a meeting between management and government officials on Monday, is an about turn after the company announced earlier this month that the new taxes made some operations unviable and cut output at its Nchanga smelter. First Quantum Minerals on January 23 also scrapped plans to fire workers in response to the higher payments.
