The Namibian Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Kornelia Shilunga urged African diamond producers to formalize artisanal and small-scale diamond miners to maximize benefits from the sector. According to the South African news source The Southern Times, the minister said this during the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) 6th Ordinary Experts meeting in Windhoek earlier this week.
"The ASM operates under an informal system and is presented with challenges that escape internal controls of the Kimberly Process. This necessitates the need for integrating the alluvial, artisanal and small-scale diamond sectors into formal economies in order to optimize benefits accruing from this sector," she was quoted.
She said the ASM sectors represents nearly 25 percent of the world's rough diamond trade, noting that the strategy is in line with the African Mining Vision of advocating for mineral beneficiation, to contribute towards industrialization in order to benefit local economies.