Aleksandar Antic (Photo: Youtube/ screenshoot)
Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic said in Bor on August 6 that the mining had recorded a growth in production by 3.8% in the first half of 2020.
– The exploitation of metal made a special contribution to it, with over 20% – the minister said at the ceremony held on the occasion of the Miners' Day.
He also said that
Serbia had nearly 29,000 employees in the mining sector, 11.9% more than in the same period last year.
– Serbia is the strongest regional mining industry, with a huge potential and 175 exploration fields, where numerous local and foreign companies operate – Antic said.
Antic said that, in 2019, the investments in mining explorations had amounted to USD 140 million, whereas the investments in the exploitation of mining sites had amounted to USD 400 million.
According to him, 5,500 workers are employed at Zijin Bor, the company which runs the Bor Mining and Smelting Complex, with an average salary of RSD 92,000, which makes the company a strong strategic partner.
– The overburden has increased here by 97%, wet ore by 16%, cathode copper by over 18%, and these results show that our plans within the investment cycle of USD 1.26 billion will be realized – Antic concluded.