Metorex Limited fulfils social responsibilities

1. Economic performance

Metorex Limited’s management team has closely followed the Jinchuan-led system, a combination of Chinese and western elements with systematic support and comprehensive development, adhered to localized management, and rallied local employees and those from South Africa to ensure the timely completion of its plans. By adopting measures aimed at improved quality and efficiency, its business and projects have witnessed rapid growth.

Thanks to the joint efforts made by Metorex’s employees, the company gained sound achievements in its operation and profitability in 2021. Its annual turnover reached $623 million, 34.4 percent higher than a targeted $464 million. Its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) totaled $265 million in 2021, 136.2 percent higher than expected. Its pre-tax profit and post-tax profit hit $175 million and $121 million respectively in the year.

2. Safety philosophy

Metorex sticks to a people-centered safety philosophy, which prioritizes the health and lives of its employees, exerts utmost efforts to ensure safe production, and highlights “zero injury” as a management goal.

3. Environmental protection

(1) Comply with Green Mines standards

Since 2015, Metorex has been sticking to saving energy, lowering consumption, highlighting scientific management, coordinating prevention and control efforts, and promoting harmonious development. Through intensified efforts to minimize environmental pollution, enhance economic performance and cut down energy consumption, the company realized harmonious development between economic and social affairs and between mankind and nature.

Metorex has been committed to vegetation protection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). By organizing annual planting activities, it has planted more than 500 mango, lemon and avocado trees near the Kinsenda mine. Meanwhile, its Ruashi Mining SAS has planted and transplanted over 2,000 trees with strong resilience in its production areas. All these efforts were to raise the awareness of environmental protection among Metorex employees and to press ahead with the green development of its mining industry. Moreover, Chinese employees of the firm have managed to grow vegetables and fruit trees by themselves and taught plantation techniques to their Congolese counterparts to promote the building of harmonious communities.

During an interview, a Congolese official said the natural environment impacted by Ruashi Mining SAS has improved with lush trees, expressing thanks to Chinese friends and the country.

The governor of Haut-Katanga province in the DRC also spoke highly of the contributions made by Ruashi Mining SAS to the development of the local community. The firm acts as a role model for other enterprises in the DRC, the governor added.

(2) Deliver safe drinking water to local residents

All mining sites under Metorex have proactively fulfilled their social responsibilities by providing local people with safe drinking water. They have conducted purification and treatment and tested the quality of local water before transporting it to targeted residents, lowering the incidence of malaria, typhoid fever, dysentery and other diseases.

In addition, they have adopted scientific measures in industrial wastewater treatment, ensuring the released water complies with local emission standards.

4. Increasing community-level investment

Since its acquisition by Jinchuan Group in January 2012, Metorex has proactively taken part in public undertakings, exerted utmost efforts to improve infrastructure, health, education and employment, and strengthened ties with local communities to fulfill its social responsibilities and create a positive image of Chinese firms.

Community-level investment made by Kinsenda in 2021

Note: According to the Mining Law of the DRC, all mine operators in the country shall allocate 0.3 percent of their annual incomes as statutory community expenditure to support the development of communities where they are located.

Community-level investment made by Ruashi in 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Metorex has donated $100,000 in cash, 10,000 facial masks, 500 protective suits, sterilizers and hand sanitizers, and 1,300 other medical items such as detection reagents and thermal detectors to local authorities and communities.

5. Improving infrastructure

Chibuluma Mines Plc under Metorex helps local communities improve water supplies. [Photo provided to en.jnmc.com]

The DRC lags far behind in infrastructure construction and some areas of the country still lack access to electricity. The rotation of rainy and dry seasons and the sudden outbreak of natural disasters have brought challenges to the building and maintenance of roads and infrastructure facilities. As a result, all mines under Metorex have utilized their strengths to help local communities improve electricity, water supplies and infrastructure facilities. With their efforts, local people around the mining zones have gained reliable access to drinking water and electricity.

6. Providing technical support to agricultural development

Metorex has made intensified efforts to help the DRC promote its agricultural development, build farms, and grow corn, a staple crop in the country, providing sufficient labor force, fertilizers and pesticides to meet the local food supply.

The firm has provided local farmers with technical training and sent free fertilizers to agricultural organizations to help them grasp scientific plantation skills and raise the output of crops.

Metorex makes intensified efforts to help the DRC promote its agricultural development. [Photo provided to en.jnmc.com]

Thanks to the efforts given by Metorex, local farmers have had several bumper harvests over the past few years.

After an inspection tour in November 2021, the firm launched an initiative to help local citizens in land reclamation, which has improved their livelihoods and promoted the growth of agricultural production.

7. Protecting rights to receive education

Metorex under Jinchuan Group donate learning materials to local students in Chibuluma community in Zambia. [Photo provided to en.jnmc.com]

During the past years, Metorex has closely followed the development of education in the DRC. Its subordinate mines have given donations annually, including learning materials and teaching equipment to local schools.

For instance, Kinsenda Copper Company under Metorex has built two schools, hired teachers for children of its employees and local people, and covered related expenditures for employees' children aged between 3 and 25. Statistics show that it has donated $1.46 million to help its employees' children in the completion of their education since 2013, providing them with access to knowledge and a broader world.

8. Safeguarding public health

Metorex has built two hospitals with 12 departments and employed 54 medical workers over the past few years. The two hospitals have received 6,782 visits by its employees on average per year and 16,938 more by their family members.

Figures show that since 2013, Metorex has paid medical bills worth $19.12 million for its employees. In addition, the firm has conducted free medical examinations at regular intervals for local people and donated medicines, safeguarding public health.

9. Creating job opportunities and strengthening technical training

Metorex has been committed to providing local people in the DRC, especially the young generation, with more job and training opportunities. It has directly created 1,525 employment opportunities and provided 3,164 indirect ones in mining, mechanics, electrical engineering, human resources and accounting.

Although the DRC has sufficient labor force, the majority can only earn a living by manual labor due to a lack of technical skills and experience.

Metorex has spared no efforts to provide local youth with employment and training opportunities. Meanwhile, Jinchuan Group has arranged its senior technicians to form partnerships with local employees to give them professional knowledge and skills.

Many of them have benefited from the program and become technical experts at their workplaces.