Government raised 4.6 billion from the sale of diamonds from 2017 to 2020

The data was put forward by Diamantino de Azevedo at the opening of the 6th Consultative Council of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, held in Ndalatando, capital of the province of Cuanza Norte.

According to the minister, production in 2017 was 9.1 million carats, 9.4 million carats in 2018, 9.1 million carats in 2019, and 7.9 million carats in 2020.

The minister highlighted that, in order to make the marketing and export of rough diamonds more transparent, an online platform was implemented for sales in the form of tenders/auctions.

The government official stressed that during this period the activity of processing diamonds was increased, with the inauguration of three new factories for cutting the precious stone in Luanda, a fact that contributed to the expansion of the value-added base of diamonds and expansion of the value chain , such as the increase in the installed production capacity to 360 thousand carats per year.

According to the minister, the construction of the Diamantiferous Development Pole in Saurimo, in the province of Lunda Sul, is underway, and is expected to be inaugurated this year.

The infrastructure, valued at US$77 million, noted Diamantino de Azevedo, aims to bring together in that strategic location of the country, suitable and necessary undertakings for the promotion and dynamization of companies linked to the mining sector, with a focus on the diamond value chain.

"With the entry into operation of this project, the opening of four more cutting factories with a global production capacity of 341,000 carats per year is expected, as well as training centers for the cutting segment and to support the mining industry" , he stressed.

Still on the development of the diamond sector, the minister highlighted the significant steps towards the implementation of the Angola Diamond Exchange, namely the identification of the provisional operating space, the place for the construction of the definitive structure, the beginning of the tenders for the selection of companies to carry out tenders and the implementation of the diamond acidification unit.