Media Wire Express Correspondent
The Member of Parliament for Arusha Urban, Mrisho Gambo, has called on the government to amend the laws and regulations governing the trade of Tanzanite, stressing that the ban on selling these gemstones outside the Mererani area is causing significant losses for the nation.
Gambo made these remarks on Friday, October 18, 2024, during a meeting with gemstone traders and brokers held at the Mineral Market in Arusha.
Discussing how current policies are affecting the mining sector, Gambo explained that in previous years, the value of Tanzanite reached as high as $2,000 per gram. However, due to poor decisions and self-interest, that value has been declining day by day.
“The nation is suffering losses; the country is suffering losses because of selfishness. You protect Mererani, but you are destroying the nation,” he said.
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Gambo also pointed out that although Mererani is the only area for mining Tanzanite, the government should not restrict the sale of these gemstones in other parts of the country. He lamented that it is currently easier to export these gems to countries like India and the United States than to sell them in Tanzanian cities like Arusha or Dar es Salaam.
“Today, if you go to Mererani and buy your gemstones and pay the royalties, you are allowed to take them to India, the United States, Dubai, or Kenya, but you are not allowed to bring them to Arusha or Dar es Salaam,” Gambo emphasized. He noted that Arusha is now known for selling gravel and sand rather than Tanzanite. “That is not good news. Revenues have dropped, and if you look at the research conducted by the Ministry of Minerals itself, one of the reasons for the decline in gemstone values is the ban on allowing these gemstones to be sold only in Mererani,” Gambo added.
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