The Tanzanian National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai has formed yet another special committee of nine Members of parliament to investigate to scrutinize tanzanite mining contracts and exports.
According to Mr Ndugai, the team led by the chairman of the parliamentary Committee for energy and minerals Doto Biteko, has been tasked to look broadly at the tanzanite business, including contracts signed between state enterprises and private firms.
“Their terms of reference include establishing miners and dealers were paying government taxes considering trade in tanzanite earns very little revenue for the Government,” he said.
The Speaker said that the team should come up with suggestions on the best way to export tanzanite “whether it should be in raw form or cut and polished in a regulated atmosphere because even countries that do not mine tanzanite like South Africa and Kenya, also export the gemstone that is only found at Mirerani, Arusha.”
Mr Ndugai added: “Remember tanzanite is more expensive than gold.”
Comments
Post a Comment