“This year we have an ambitious target of 9.5 million carats in production and 550,000 carats in artisanal production, which means we have to produce 10 million carats,” said Angola Geology and Mining Minister Francisco Queiroz.
Last year the southern African country produced 8 million carats of diamonds.
Queiroz said Catoca mine which produces 87 percent of diamond production in Angola underwent a massive maintenance process in April.
Angola’s mining industry continues to provide the country with foreign earnings. Mining contributes 12 percent of Angola’s GDP (excluding the oil sector).
Only 40 percent of the diamond-rich territory within the country has been explored, but the government had difficulty in attracting foreign investment because of corruption, human rights violations, and diamond smuggling.
The Angolan government loses $375 million annually from diamond smuggling.
In 2003 the government began Operation Brilliant, an anti-smuggling investigation that arrested and deported 250,000 smugglers between 2003 and 2006.
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