Luanda, Angola, 06 Sept – The chairman of Angolan national diamond company Endiama, Arnaldo Calado, said Tuesday that the company had set up a project that would allow Angolan diamond prospectors to work as legalized independents in the country’s diamond areas, Angolan news agency Angpop reported.

Calado, who was speaking on the sidelines of the first meeting of experts for the constitution of the Association of Diamond Producing Countries (ADPA), which is being held in Luanda until Thursday, explained that these workers would be classified, numbered and included in diamond project, Angpop said.

Endiama’s chairman said that the project covered only Angolan prospectors and said there was a need for legal measures to penalize and discourage illegal diamond exports by foreigners.

Amongst these measures he highlighted the harmonization of mining sector legislation on an international level. (macauhub)