DODOMA: TANZANIA and Thailand have signed a cooperation agreement to promote knowledge sharing, research collaboration and the production of high-quality gemstone products.
The agreement, signed in Dodoma on Tuesday, seeks to enhance value addition in the gemstone industry, ensuring that Tanzanian gemstones undergo significant processing before export.
The deal was signed between the Tanzania Gemmological Centre (TGC) and Sunset Gem Company from Thailand, marking a pivotal step in strengthening the global competitiveness of Tanzania’s gemstone sector.
The collaboration aims to enhance expertise in gemmology while driving innovation in the cutting and polishing of gemstones. This partnership is poised to play a crucial role in advancing Tanzania’s gemstone industry, ensuring the country fully maximises its valuable mineral resources for both local and international markets.
Commenting on the signed MoU, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Minerals, Eng Yahya Samamba, said that the agreement is a key part of the government’s strategy to enhance Tanzania’s capacity to add value to its gemstones rather than selling them in their raw form.
“We are committed to ensuring that our gemstones are processed and value-added within the country, which will significantly contribute to our economy. This initiative also aims to create more local employment opportunities by increasing the number of skilled professionals in the gemstone industry,” he stated.
Through the agreement, Tanzania stands to benefit from the transfer of new value addition technologies, alongside the strengthening of the Tanzania Gemmological Centre (TGC), which is a key institution in the country’s gemstone sector.
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For years, Tanzania has been known for mining and exporting raw gemstones. However, with the implementation of Tanzania’s mining law, there is now a strong focus on adding value to these minerals before they are sold abroad.
“We want to ensure that our minerals are not sold raw but are processed here to contribute significantly to our economy. This move also aims to keep Tanzanian jobs within the country by developing local expertise in the gemstone industry,” Eng Samamba added.
On his part, Sunset Gem Executive Director, Pukkapon Piantumdee, said that the company specialises in the cutting, polishing and identification of gemstones.
He expressed optimism about using this partnership to share expertise and collaborate with Tanzania in these areas.
Sunset Gem is involved in the purchase and largescale cutting of sapphire and ruby gemstones and it has developed technology for treating these precious stones.
In his remarks, the Acting Coordinator of the Tanzania Gemmological Centre (TGC), Eng Ally Maganga, noted that this collaboration would provide Tanzanian youths and students at the Centre the opportunity to travel to Thailand to acquire modern skills in gemstone value addition.
“Through these agreements, the government of Tanzania and its people will benefit from the technology needed to treat ruby and sapphire gemstones,” Engineer Maganga said.
Furthermore, Tanzanian students will have the chance to learn gemstone cutting techniques in Thailand and during their field attachments, Sunset Gem has agreed to take the students under its wing.
Engineer Maganga also highlighted the important role that Sunset Gem has played in strengthening Tanzania’s relations with the Gemmological Institute of Thailand (GIT), a major institution in the gemstone industry, which has already signed agreements with Tanzania.
