The emerald minerals exported from Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ regional states brought the country 4.3 million dollars in the first nine months of the 2016/17 fiscal year, according to the Ministry of Minerals, Petroleum & Natural Gases. The currency came from a 465Kg emerald exported through 15 exporters, out of which only one is involved both in the production and extraction of emerald.
The Ministry reported the challenge posed by illegal exporters. It announced its intention to work more in order to control the extraction as well as the exportation. It is also contemplating to work harder in adding more values to the mineral before its exportation as well as make the process on the basis of bids.
Emerald is the second most wanted and expensive mineral next to diamond in the world. It brought about 550,000 dollars in a month for Ethiopia after the export of emerald started during the first quarter of the current fiscal year.
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