Tanzania earned $431-million from exports of various minerals last year, up from $312-million during the preceding year, Energy and Minerals Minister Daniel Yona has said.
”This represents a growth of about 38% in mineral exports,” Yona told Parliament at the central Tanzanian administrative capital, Dodoma, on Thursday night.
Yona said that Tanzania’s mining sector grew by 15% in 2002 and 13,5% in 2001, being the fastest growing sector in the country’s economy, thanks to heavy investment by several multinational mining giants, including Anglogold, Ashanti Goldfields, Barrick, Resolute and De Beers.
He said Tanzania now had five major gold mines; and output of the precious yellow metal reached 43,320kg, worth $374,33-million in 2002, from 424,9kg worth $3,3-million in 1998. Yona also said production of diamonds rose from 95, 337,3 carats worth $11,1-million in 1998 to 239,761,14 carats worth $28,13-million last year.
Production of other gemstones, including tanzanite grew from 48,518 kg worth $8,1-million in 1998 to 195, 88,54kg worth $19,7-million in 2002. – Sapa-AFP