Probishtip, 28 August 2022 (MIA) — Contributing more than 10 percent to the country’s industrial production, the mining sector is essential for its progress, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said at an event at the Bulmak 2016 mine in Probishtip held to mark Aug. 28, Miners Day. At the event, Prime Minister Kovachevski was accompanied by Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski, Agriculture Minister Ljupcho Nikoloski, and regional mayors, mining industry representatives, miners and other guests. “We have over 100 active mines, which together employ about ten thousand people. One of them is the Zletovo mine, which in a short time, following an ambitious strategy and plan, has managed to rise from bankruptcy to fully restarting production. The Bulmak 2016 company, which manages this one and the Toranica mine, even in times of crisis and pandemic, is in the top 30 in the country regarding performance,” PM Kovachevski said. Some 800 people are employed in the two mines, he added, and both output and wages have increased. Bulmak 2016 has recently received a mining operation permit to open a new mining site for the extraction of around 800,000 tons of lead-zinc ore, he added. Event attendees also heard a letter written by Nikolai Valkanov, the owner of the Bulgarian company Minstroy that runs the Probishtip mine. In addition, miners were awarded prizes. mr/