Dundo – At least 785 jobs have been created by the SOMILUANA mining society, located in the municipality of Lucapa, eastern Lunda-Norte province, which inaugurated on Wednesday a sorting plant that will increase production levels, its CEO Reinaldo Trindade has said.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Reinaldo Trindade said 98 percent of the jobs created are occupied by Angolans, adding that the new infrastructure with three lines and a treatment capacity of six tonnes of concentrate per hour, is expected to produce 15,000 carats of diamonds per month in the future, compared to the current four thousand output.
He added that by increasing production levels, the company will be able to improve its contribution to the state budget through taxes, having reiterated the company's commitment to support the government's social actions, especially in the health, education and family farming sectors.
With a concession area of 444 square kilometres, the secondary deposit (alluvium) is 33% owned by Samiluana and 67% by Angola's national diamond company (ENDIAMA EP).
In 2004 it began its prospecting and, six years later, the exploration and production phase.
HD/MRA/AMP
