Enterprise Reporter

THE Minerals Advertising and marketing Company of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) is ready to ascertain gems shopping for centres throughout the nation to speed up the expansion of the sectors in direction of the nationwide goal of a US$1 billion trade by 2030.

This comes as Zimbabwe will not be realising significant earnings from semi-precious and colored stones with MMCZ indicating that final yr Zimbabwe raked in a paltry US$215 560 after a complete of 1 386 million kilogrammes have been bought by the formal system.

A gemstone is a valuable or semi-precious stone, particularly one minimize, polished, and utilized in a chunk of jewelry.

The worth of the gems in Zimbabwe is estimated at US$2 billion every year. This feeds into the Authorities’s general coverage thrust of rising the mining trade right into a US$12 billion financial system by 2023 and the broader imaginative and prescient of reworking Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income nation by 2030.

It has been reported that the gems found in some components of the nation resembling Karoi and Hurungwe have been being extracted with out going by the traditional processes that profit the nation at giant.

Talking on the inaugural Gem stones Convention organised by the Zimbabwe College of Mines in Harare final week, MMCZ gross sales govt Mrs Homosexual Zindere stated her organisation can be establishing the gems shopping for centres, which MMCZ shall regulate along with different related stakeholders just like the Zimbabwe Income Authority, the Reserve Financial institution of Zimbabwe and legislation enforcement brokers.

“Our imaginative and prescient is to turnaround the gems sector right into a US$1 billion trade by 2030.

“This begins by creating dependable sources for gems and the event of handy buying and selling centres in gemstone producing areas, the place miners hyperlink up with gemstone processors.

“In the long run, we hope to see extra chopping and sharpening centres for gems, analysis hubs in tertiary establishments and applied sciences in chopping and sharpening of colored gems,” she stated.

Semi-precious and colored stones resembling aventurine, beryl, talc, antimony, aquamarine, and amethyst are largely used for jewelry manufacturing and ornamental functions.

Mrs Zindere stated MMCZ and appointed sub-agents can be shopping for the gems to curb leakages of semi-precious and colored stones whereas helping the miners with cash-flows. She stated mechanisms have been in place for unregistered miners to promote gems on to MMCZ and its sub-agents.

“MMCZ groups shall be going round gemstone mining areas buying gems from miners. Miners are additionally free to come back on to MMCZ workplaces,” stated Mrs Zindere.

The MMCZ official stated gemstone mining in Zimbabwe was dominated by small-scale artisanal miners, leading to inconsistent provides. 

Thus it was not viable for MMCZ to consign small parcels and it was additionally tough to make product ensures because of inconsistent provide.

“The miners promote gems to casual merchants as they don’t have entry to mining licenses,  export permits and different export documentation,” she stated.