By
Reuters
Published
Apr 26, 2010
Reading time
2 minutes
Download
Download the article
Print
Text size

DRC to require 'clean' diamond exports by mid-June

By
Reuters
Published
Apr 26, 2010

KINSHASA (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo will make the cleansing of all rough diamonds compulsory before export from mid-June, according to a document provided to Reuters by the mines ministry on Friday 23 April.



The move could raise the value of stones exported by the world's No. 2 exporter by volume, but could also exacerbate the vast central African country's deep-rooted smuggling problems, analysts have said.

In a decree signed on April 15, Congolese mining minister Martin Kabwelulu established the "obligatory de-oxidization of raw diamonds before export," making cleaning compulsory before stones are valued and taxed. The final article of the decree, which was provided to Reuters by Dona Kampata, the coordinator of the mining ministry's technical office, states that the measure will take effect "60 days" after it was signed.

De-oxidizing, also known as acidizing or boiling, clears diamonds of their natural impurities and brown colouring and gives them a higher market value.

According to the government's Centre for Valuation, Expertise and Certification on precious minerals, Congo exported 17.9 million carats of diamonds worth $245 million in 2009.

The centre's chief valuer Jean-Pierre Amuri told Reuters in February that systematic cleaning could boost the value of exports by 20 to 25 percent.

However, some analysts fear that the new regulation will encourage exporters who do not want to bear the cost of cleaning to smuggle their diamonds out of the country.

Kinshasa-based Diablanc, the only acidizing laboratory in the country, is set to benefit from the measure. The company was started by Antwerp-based diamantaires David Zollman and Bob Bonde.

© Thomson Reuters 2024 All rights reserved.