Ngokusho kwe-MiningWeekly ecaphuna i-Reuters, idatha kahulumeni wasePhilippines ikhombisa ukuthi naphezu kobhubhane lwe-Covid-19 oluthinta amanye amaphrojekthi, ukukhiqizwa kwe-nickel ezweni ngo-2020 kuzoqhubeka nokwenyuka kusuka kumathani angu-323,325 ngonyaka odlule kuya kumathani angu-333,962, okuwukwenyuka ngo-3%. Kodwa-ke, i-Philippine Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources ixwayise ngokuthi imboni yezimayini isabhekene nokungaqiniseki kulo nyaka.
Ngo-2020, izimayini ze-nickel ezingu-18 kuphela kwezingu-30 kuleli lizwe laseNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia ezibike ukuthi zikhiqizwe.
“Ubhubhane lwe-Covid-19 ngo-2021 luzoqhubeka nokubeka impilo kanye nokukhiqiza engcupheni, futhi kusekhona ukungaqiniseki embonini yezimayini,” kusho uMnyango Wezomhlaba Nezimbiwa wasePhilippines esitatimendeni.
Imikhawulo yokuhlukaniswa iphoqe izinkampani zezimayini ukuthi zinciphise amahora okusebenza kanye nabasebenzi.
Kodwa-ke, le nhlangano ithe ngokukhuphuka kwentengo ye-nickel yamazwe ngamazwe kanye nokuthuthuka kokugoma, izinkampani zezimayini zizoqala kabusha izimayini futhi zikhuphule ngokushesha ukukhiqizwa, futhi zizoqala namaphrojekthi amasha.