Xstrata chief urges South Africa to invest in mining infrastructure

摘要

SOUTH Africa's mining sector is unable to reach its full potential because of poor infrastructure, said Xstrata chief executive Mick Davis in an address to the Wits Business School. A study by Global Insight showed that the mining sector's GDP contribution actually shrank by 1% from 2001 -08 - during one of the greatest natural-resource booms in history, he added. "Restricted and unstable energy and transport infrastructure, shortages of skilled labour - in particular, engineers, geologists and artisans - and the constrained capacity within regulatory bodies to satisfy significant volumes of licensing or permitting applications have prevented our country from reaping the full benefit of the first phase of the commodities boom," Mr Davis said.