By Alfred Zacharia
The Tanzanian government has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing the mineral sector’s contribution to the national economy by prioritizing local value addition rather than exporting raw minerals.
This initiative aims to increase the sector's share in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), boost economic growth, and safeguard employment opportunities for Tanzanians.
Speaking in Dodoma on March 25, 2025, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Minerals, Eng. Yahya Samamba, emphasized that the government is determined to ensure that gemstones and other minerals undergo processing within Tanzania.
He made these remarks during the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Tanzania Gemological Centre (TGC) and Sunset Gem, a Thailand-based company.
According to Engineer Samamba, the agreement aligns with the government’s broader strategy of building local expertise and capacity in gemstone processing, polishing, and value addition.
“We want to ensure that our minerals are not exported in their raw form but are processed here to maximize their contribution to our economy. This will also help in retaining jobs for Tanzanians and developing local expertise in the gemstone industry,” he stated.
As part of this initiative, Tanzania will benefit from technology transfer, enabling the country to adopt modern techniques in gemstone cutting and polishing.
The MoU also seeks to enhance the capabilities of the Tanzania Gemological Centre (TGC), which plays a critical role in training professionals and improving standards in the gemstone sector.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to the sector, Engineer Samamba revealed that an eight-story building is under construction in Arusha to strengthen TGC’s operations.
The facility is expected to provide a conducive environment for the gemstone business and training, further solidifying Tanzania’s position in the global gemstone market.
On his part, Pukkapon Piantumdee, an executive from Sunset Gem, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating that his company specializes in gemstone cutting, polishing, and identification.
He affirmed that their collaboration with Tanzania would facilitate knowledge exchange and skill enhancement in the sector.
Additionally, Acting Coordinator of the Tanzania Gemological Centre, Engineer Ally Maganga, noted that the agreement would provide Tanzanian students and young professionals with opportunities to study and gain hands-on experience in Thailand.
“This partnership will expose our young people to advanced skills and modern technologies, strengthening our local capacity in gemstone value addition,” he said.
The initiative is part of Tanzania’s broader goal to ensure the mineral sector contributes at least 10% to the national GDP. The government views international collaborations, such as the one with Thailand, as a key step toward achieving this objective and strengthening the country’s gemstone industry.