Chamber of Mines (CoM) CEO Roger Baxter on Wednesday said the chamber’s members had experienced progressively weakening commodity prices, rapidly rising costs, falling productivity and some regulatory issues that challenged their ability to sustain operations and to maintain employment levels. “With an average of half the companies in lossmaking territory, the focus for many has been on restructuring for survival. And while we are gratified at the industry’s improving safety trends, with 2015 being the best year on record, the early months of 2016 reminded us that we have no cause for complacency in our quest for zero harm,” he added during the CoM’s annual general meeting (AGM).
