• Zambia is classified as having the highest grade of emeralds in the world.
• The nation has the potential of generating an average of $600million per year.
• The country must declare emeralds as a Strategic National Asset to be employed in clearing our unsustainable debt

An opposition Political Party has called on Government to declare emeralds as a strategic national asset to be employed in clearing the unsustainable debt and improving the quality of life of all Zambians.
In a statement, New Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) President Dr. Nevers Mumba stated that the sale of a Zambian emerald at US$14million by Kagem Mining confirms the wealth the country is sitting on which must be properly utilized.
Dr. Mumba said it is clear that Zambia has potential to generate an average of US$600million per year in the emerald sector, hence the need to employ a policy that brings most of the benefits to the national table.
“Zambia is classified as having the highest grade of emeralds in the world. The sale price of this gem confirms the wealth we are sitting on as a nation. A change of policy on the prospecting, mining and marketing of our gemstones can result in unshackling our nation from the high levels of poverty.”
“Our proposal is for Zambia to declare emeralds as a strategic national asset to be employed in clearing our unsustainable debt and improving the quality of life of all Zambians,” Dr. Mumba stated.
He added that the country can dedicate these proceeds towards zeroing national debt and further added that the current policy is not serving the interests of the majority of the Zambian people.
Lufwanyama-based Kagem Mining has continued to put Zambia’s gemstones at the forefront of world demand as it unveiled a giant 37kg cluster of emeralds.