Tanzanite is a blue-lilac gemstone that was first discovered in the Meralani Hills in northern Tanzania in 1967. Tanzania is the only country in the world where the genstone is found.
"When Tanzania only comes out in fourth place in the list over countries that earn money through exporting Tanzanite, then something is seriously wrong! The fact that other countries earn more exporting Tanzanite than Tanzania does is a sign that Tanzania's resources are being exploited. Rough gems are being exported to other countries, such as South Africa and India, where they are polished and refined and then exported on," explains country representative Gunstein Instefjord for NCA in Tanzania.
Meeting with the Norwegian Embassy
Earlier this autumn, the Norwegian Embassy in Tanzania invited Norwegian Church Aid to its offices together with the Interreligious Commitee for Economic Justice.
"At the meeting, we discussed Tanzanite export as an example of the challenges that resource-wealthy countries face," continues Instefjord.
The extraction of Tanzanite contributes US$ 20 million annually to the Tanzanian authorities, according to online encycopledia Wikipedia. However, once cut and polished, trade in the gem amounts to around US$ 500 million, largely in the USA.
In 2003, Tanzanian authorities forbade the export of unprocessed Tanzanite to India, hoping to stimulate development of the domestic gem processing industry and of the Tanzanian economy as a whole.