Chinese company to train Zimbabweans in diamond cutting and polishing

HON. MARIDADI:  Yes sure, there was a lot of money that was invested into that complex.  What is happening to that complex and why has it been abandoned?

HON. CHIDHAKWA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you Hon. Maridadi for that supplementary question.  The Diamond Value Addition Centre was established by private individuals.  Naturally, our hope and expectation will be that the private individuals will continue to get financial resources from their financial institutions for the purposes of completing the facility.

As Government, we cannot go and interfere in their situation, neither can we take public money to give it to them to enable them to complete it.  I am aware that the proprietors of the facility are keen, they have had legal problems around the legal proprietors but I am aware that the legal issues have now been resolved.  I know that they will soon be getting back to the development of that facility.  From a Government point of view, we will play the facilitative role that they need and give them the assurance that we will support them. 

HON. NDUNA:  Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question …

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Order, order Hon. Nduna.

HON. NDUNA:  Mr. Speaker, I am the originator of this question and I was thinking that if you allow me, I should be done in a minute.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  You may proceed.

HON. NDUNA:  Thank you for your indulgence Mr. Speaker. I need to know at what cost will it be to train our beneficiators of the diamonds as you have alluded that we are sending some to China, what cost will this have to Government?  I am aware also that you said this is in partnership with our Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the School of Mines in Bulawayo.

HON. CHIDHAKWA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker. Hon. Nduna, the training will be fully funded by the company or companies that will have accessed the package of incentives that we have given.  The package of incentives revolves around giving them royalty free access.

You know that we said when you want to cut and polish diamonds locally, you will not pay royalty on the diamonds.  This was in order to encourage people to cut diamonds domestically but we also then took another step to say, if you are going to use the diamonds for the training of our people; when you buy diamonds, we will give you that same benefit which you would otherwise get when you are actually operating a manufacturing entity.  From the Government and the School of Mines perspective, there are no direct expenditures.  We forego the royalty, that is the expenditure that the Government commits itself to.

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