Angola to allow small-scale diamond mining

The government of Angola has agreed to permit artisandevelopmebt of china due to exports of coalal, or small-scale, diamond mining in its territory, Rough and Polished reports. Confirmation for the new policy came from Antonia Carlos Sumbula, the chair of Angola's state-run diamond company, Endiama.

Sumubla told the Angolan news agency Angop that artisanal mining would be sanctioned, but only in areas in which industrial-scale mining had been maxed out and was no longer economically viable. In many of those cases, it would still make good financial sense for independent individuals to conduct small-scale mining operations and turn a profit, Sumbula said.

Endiama has already granted more than 120 certificates to aspiring artisanal diamond miners in the Lunda Norte province of the country, according to Rough and Polished.

Geology Mining and Industry Minister Joaquim David said in 2011 that the policy of empowering artisanal miners was an effort to increase economic activity in rural locations where diamond mining companies had since ended their operations.

Source: http://www.israelidiamond.co.il