The Saurimo Diamond Development Pole was presented to national and foreign business entities in Luanda on Monday, with the aim of developing the country’s mineral resource value chain.
Located north of the municipality of Saurimo, the development hub is planned for completion by November, with the infrastructure of the main stoning plant already completed. The objective of the development is to unite and provide infrastructure to companies operating in the country’s mining sector.
In addition to its development of the national diamond value chain, the project is expected to create more than 5,000 new jobs and will increase the cutting capacity of rough diamonds from two percent to 20 percent.
“In this venture, several types of jobs will be created for Angolans, from diamond cutting to commercial services,” said H.E. Diamantino Azevedo, Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas.
The pole bears similarities to Special Economic Zones, in that it advances investment opportunities and business promotion through its creation of a commercial area, which includes shops, restaurants, banks, tax offices, offices, convention centers and training units.