President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has applauded KGK Diamond Botswana for its beneficiation initiatives, which are set to help strengthen Botswana’s diamond trade environment. President Masisi further said skills transfer and beneficiation have been at the forefront of the company’s operations in Botswana.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony of KGK Diamonds Botswana in Gaborone on Tuesday (January 17, 2023), President Masisi said 33 factories are now operational compared to 16 that were licensed when the country embarked on the diamond beneficiation drive in 2008.
“Thus, employment in this sector has grown in the last three years from 2,200 people to 3,200,” President Masisi added.
“KGK Diamonds Botswana has proven itself to be a responsible stakeholder in nurturing the diamond industry, and its state-of-the-art jewellery manufacturing facility will continue to bolster Botswana’s profile as a leader in the global diamond industry,” he said.
He said to date, the company has created 450 jobs and was committed to creating an additional 50 through its jewellery manufacturing facility.
“It is inspiring to witness the company’s commitment towards creating opportunities for aspiring talent through KGK academy, which has trained close to 400 polishers over the past three years,” Dr Masisi said.
The president further said the KGK inauguration ceremony came at the right time, when the country had just won the bid to host the Kimberley Process Permanent Secretariat.
“This is a development that will position us at the very heart of the governance and ecologically friendly development of the global diamond industry, and I need to assure the private sector that government will continue to support business in this country by putting in place robust policies, systems and laws that create an environment that enables businesses to thrive,” he stated.
In doing so, he said the government also expects business entities to balance the interests of profiting from their investments with observing fair labour practices that provide decent jobs not only in terms of wages, but also by catering for the welfare of their workers. With regards to developing linkages with the rest of the economy, as is the case with many raw materials, Dr Masisi said the greatest opportunities, including developing new industries, are dependent on the development of value chains.
“It is through developing raw materials’ value chains that one is able to innovate and build sustainability, thus value chains are key to the deepening of economic diversification in this country,” he said.
Dr Masisi said it is on that basis that the government has decided to add value to all its natural resources including diamonds, highlighting that that would increase the mineral sector’s contribution to Botswana’s Gross Domestic Product.
“Furthermore, consistently and systematically adhering to the principles of the environmental impact assessment of their activities, as well as engaging in impactful corporate social responsibility, is part of contributing to the sustainable development of our local communities as per our Vision 2036,” the president said.
Source: BOPA
