Tim Dabson, the DTC London beneficiation director, said Wednesday that he is dazzled with progress on the establishment of DTC Botswana that will push the country into a “new chapter” of its economic development.
Speaking in an interview with The Sunday Standard, the London-based director of beneficiation said: “There has been a good progress over the last three months. Since October quite a few things have happened.”
Some of the major developments in the diamond industry relating to the beneficiation include the inclusion of all the 16 DTC Botswana clients into DTC London sight holders at the end of last year.
The move will enable the DTC Botswana clients to also have access to goods sold in the international market- through DTC London. The DTC Botswana client will benefit from that arrangement from April this year when the DTC London’s one year contract comes into effect.
“What we are waiting for is the completion of DTC Botswana building at the end of this month,” he added.
DTC Botswana has put up a giant structureÔÇöequivalent to six rugby fields ÔÇô along the road to Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. The building is fitted with the most advanced diamond technology in the world and will start doing the sorting, valuing and aggregation of goods starting from next year.
Over this year, however, it will only restrict itself to sorting, valuing and selling some US $ 370 million worth of economically cuttable diamonds. And the figure is planned to go up to US $ 550 million by next year.
At its peak, the whole programme is expected to create up to 3,000 jobs in various sectors such as cutting and polishing, diamond banking, courier services, insurance, and then Teemane Diamond Manufacturing in Serowe said the opening of DTC Botswana on March 18, this year will mark a new chapter in the economic development of the country.
“These are exciting times for Botswana. DTC is a magnificent facility that Botswana has got. Botswaana moves forward into the new chapter of its economic development,” he said.
He said the historic building, Orapa House ÔÇô a symbol of diamond mining and economic prosperity of the countryÔÇöwill soon be refurbished and turned into a Diamond Centre with a view of imparting knowledge on the value chain of the diamond industry.
“Orapa House is something of an icon within Gaborone sky-line. We are going to do something like a Diamond Centre here. It has to have a complete range of diamond components,” he said.
“For this to be sustainable it needs a strong partnership between government- DTC Botswana- sight holders. And they should polish a range of goods that would add value,” he said.