Angola licences 19,000 diamond mining companies

November 22, 2006 found at busrep.co.za 

London - Angola has issued diamond mining licences to 19 000 companies out of 28 000 who applied when the country recently liberalised its mining laws, the Antwerp World Diamond Council reports in its November 21 'Antwerp Facets'.

However, only 10 percent of the companies are likely to find diamonds that will enable them to go beyond the prospecting stage, chairman of the state-owned mining company Endiama, Arnaldo Calado, is reported as saying.

Angola was also drafting changes in the law that would make it possible for Angolan citizens to trade polished diamonds, so that a domestic jewellery manufacturing industry could be developed.

The World Diamond Council also reports that Belgium and South Africa agreed to hold a workshop in 2007 on co-operation between their diamond industries, with businesspeople and other leaders gathering to discuss the exchange of technology, training and information on legislation touching the diamond industry.

The two countries worked together at the just-concluded Kimberley Process Certification Scheme plenary session in Botswana, for which Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, director-general of the Department of