Tanzania to build strong rooms for keeping precious stones near airports

(3 minutes read)

·         Tanzanian government will construct strong rooms at various
airports across the country for storing precious stones

·         The idea of strong rooms has been mooted especially in the
light of cancellation of flights.

·         Mineral traders and others face a host of challenges when
the transportation becomes difficult including safe storage of the
minerals.

Elias John Kwandikwa, Deputy Minister for Works, Construction and
Communication, Tanzania said that his government will construct strong
rooms at various airports across the country for storing precious
stones. This is a part of the effort being done by the Tanzanian
government to promote mineral businesses.

The minister said that such an arrangement would help in ensuring
safety and a good environment for doing business. He was addressing a
consultative meeting of the stakeholders at Mwanza recently, which was
attended by traders, investors and government officials. He observed
that this step is one among the many such initiatives being
contemplated by his government and hoped that it would motivate
investors and businessmen from and far wide to invest in the country
and do business in the upstream and downstream projects of minerals,
particularly precious stones.

Elias Kwandikwa said the idea of strong rooms has been mooted
especially in the light of cancellation of flights. Mineral traders
and others face a host of challenges when the transportation becomes
difficult including safe storage of the minerals. Strong rooms
attached to airports would take care of the problems not alone during
the pandemic days but beyond as well.

Many traders have expressed the apprehension that it is risky for them
to trade in precious metals and other metals in the absence of strong
rooms especially when the flights are cancelled and the transportation
through other modes are not secured and safe.  Countries