Diamantino Azevedo was speaking at the opening of the 'Angola International Diamond Conference' (AIDC), which takes place at the Diamond Development Hub of Saurimo, capital of Luanda Sul, a province that stands out for its richness in this mineral resource.
The government official highlighted the "futuristic vision of the executive" of making Angola in the medium term a "relevant, stable and responsible" global diamond producer, pointing to the complex built in 18 months as a reflection of this desire for rapid economic and social development with the diamond as a driving spring.
Azevedo also said that Angola was one of the forerunners and founding member of the Kimberly process certification system, as a United Nations body that works to prevent political conflicts related to the abusive use of diamonds and violation of human rights in the communities and regions where they are extracted.
"With this, Angola plays an important role in the eradication of blood diamonds", he pointed out.
Diamantino Azevedo was also optimistic about the signs of recovery in the diamond price, after some instability in the market as a result of the pandemic, to encourage this activity, opening up more positive perspectives for the development of the value chain of this mineral.
Internally, he pointed out measures to restructure the sector that ensure greater transparency in the marketing system, as well as fair negotiation between the players in accordance with market rules, which, in addition to stimulating the production of diamonds, also contribute to the improvement of revenue collection.
Other objectives of the strategy designed to add value in this chain are the implementation of the diamond exchange and the development of the cutting industry.
"Diamonds as our country's second current source of export and currency is an essential asset for economic recovery and development, both as a factor of employability and as a source of revenue for the State", he stressed, adding that youth must have professional training directed to this area.
Diamantino Azevedo also addressed an appeal to those responsible for companies in the sector, assuring that "Angola is the right destination for investments in the diamond industry" and that the executive ensures all institutional support, translated into less bureaucracy and "fairness and transparency of actions".
According to the minister, Angola is on the right path and should reach its diamond production target this year: around 9 million carats – having reached 6.5 million carats by October.
For 2022, the goal is to increase production to 10 million carats.
The AIDC, which aims to promote the quality of Angola's diamonds and attract more private investment, runs until Saturday and has as its motto "Angola: Destination for Sustainable Investment in the Diamond Industry", with ministerial and multinational officials diamonds, as well as national and international experts in the field.
Angola is the fifth largest producer of diamonds in the world and ranks second in Africa, after Botswana.
