Africa-Press – Namibia. ALTHOUGH the Namibian economy heavily relies on the mining sector, over 90% of the country’s gemstones are exported in their raw form, resulting in job and revenue losses for the local economy.
This concern was raised by Lucia Iipumbu, the Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, who emphasised the government’s efforts to promote value addition and manufacturing. Speaking at the Gemstone Students Graduation Ceremony for 2021 and 2022, Iipumbu highlighted the importance of the Gemstones Cutting and Polishing Training in creating a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The training, conducted annually for six months, equips Namibians with the necessary skills in gemstone cutting and polishing. Iipumbu explained that the training was established to support small-scale miners who extract and sell semi-precious stones to local buyers and tourists, providing livelihoods and job opportunities to rural communities.
“Small-scale mining as a sub-sector of the mining sector provides a livelihood to quite a number of people and their families, alleviating poverty and improving lives. In addition, small scale mining activities provide numerous job opportunities to various rural communities in Namibia especially in regions endowed with gemstones,” she said.
According to Iipumbu, the program has the potential to address challenges and accelerate economic development in prioritised areas. She revealed that since its inception, the program has trained 142 beneficiaries, with 138 graduates being placed in the diamond industries through the centre’s facilitation. The training takes place at the Karibib Gemstones Centre in the Erongo Region.
“Producing many graduates of this course is an important element of the war against poverty and a further step on Namibia’s path towards becoming a highly competitive and industrialised nation in Gemstone cutting and polishing with a sustainable economic growth plan as depicted in Vision 2030,” Iipumbu added.
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