Tanzania to adopt certificates of origin system for minerals

Tanzania to adopt certificates of origin system for minerals
Tanzanian government is planning to apply the 'Certificate of Origin' system in a move to control Tanzanite and other mineral exports, according to news reaching here on Wednesday.

Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, Adam Malima told the National Assembly in Dodoma, capital of the East African country, on Tuesday that government was already communicating with other countries including the U.S. and India to restrict importation of Tanzanite that does not have a certificate of origin.

"This will help to reduce illegal exportation of Tanzanite, and show its origin. The government values Tanzanite and is implementing different strategies to protect the gemstone including the establishment of Mererani Controlled Area," he noted.

Anne Kilango Malecela, a legislator for the ruling CCM party and an advocate for local miners, has urged the government to promote Tanzanite as the country's symbol and permit small miners to operate at the Mererani mine area in Arusha.

Malima said the Minister in collaboration with the Minerals Advisory and Development Board have resolved to make Tanzanite a "specified" gemstone, a move would help to put in place a proper procedure for its extraction and exportation.

He said that they are looking into the possibility of uniting small miners so that they undertake mining using advanced technology.

Last year the government announced a ban in export of unprocessed Tanzanite in a bid to increase the contribution of the gemstone to the economy through local processing.

The move came in the wake of the landmark passage by parliament of the Mining Bill 2010 into an Act aimed at putting the mining of the gemstones wholly in the hands of Tanzanians.

Energy and Minerals Minister, William Ngeleja was quoted telling the House that already the government had gazetted the ban.

The government had since then declared Mererani a controlled area and that it would be fenced to prohibit exportation of the gemstone illegally from the area.

He also said his ministry had taken into account the establishment of Independent Mining Tribunal and Mining Development Fund.

Editor: Yang Lina

English.news.cn   2011-11-16 17:26:58 FeedbackPrintRSS
DARES SALAAM, Nov. 16 (Xinhua)