The Windhoek Observer reported that the Namibian government is in talks with its eastern neighbour Botswana on the possibility of Namibia becoming a center of diamond polishing in an effort to promote regional industrial integration and development, Mines and Energy Minister, Tom Alweendo was quoted.
Namibia has observed how the arrival of De Beers in Gabarone and the resulting job creation have benefited Botswana, its economy and citizens and is eager to benefit from these developments as well.
"With Botswana doing the selling of diamonds, maybe Namibia can become the hub for diamond polishing and manufacturing," Alweendo told the Windhoek Observer in an interview.
"We are actually talking to Botswana for Namibia to become the centre for diamond polishing. We are working on that. Of course when that happens, the benefit you get is not so much from government taxes, but employment creation," he told the publication.
The minister did not divulge how far the talks come along or when they would result in a viable plan. The Windhoek Observer noted that "Namibia, the world's largest producer of marine diamonds, is currently battling high unemployment as mines close and the construction sector falters" and that "polishing more diamonds could create the much-needed jobs in a country with little beneficiation of its minerals."