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Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Chipoka Mulenga, has defended the suspension of the 15 percent export duty on emeralds, stating that it would have been irresponsible for the government to continue collecting taxes at the risk of collapsing the industry.
Mulenga, who proudly noted that Zambia was now the world’s largest producer of emeralds, explained that a government market analysis revealed the 15 percent tax would have negatively impacted the gemstone industry.
Speaking on ZNBC’s Sunday Interview, Mulenga emphasized that the suspension was a move to protect jobs within the sector, stressing that failing to address public concerns would be an act of “arrogance.”
“The total job number in the mining sector must be around 60,000 people, and over 20,000 of them work in the gemstone industry. These are decent, direct jobs,” Mulenga said.
He also highlighted that, unlike copper mining, many Zambians own and operate businesses within the gemstone industry, where local participation is significant.
Another key reason for suspending the export duty, according to Mulenga, was to maintain Zambia’s competitiveness, noting that other countries in the industry have set their export tax rate at just two percent.
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