To alleviate the consequences of removing the petrol subsidy, the federal government has announced its intention to temporarily exempt diesel from value-added tax (VAT) for the next six months. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, revealed this development as part of the waivers from the resolution reached between the Federal Government and leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the end of a four-hour meeting held
Botswana’s government is reassessing a proposed deal with HB Antwerp after Lucara Diamond terminated its sales agreement with the Belgian gem trader, citing financial irregularities, President Mokgweetsi Masisi said last week. Lucara Diamond said on Thursday it had ended its agreement with HB Trading BV, a unit of HB Antwerp, following what it called “a material breach of financial commitments by HB”. HB did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In March Botswana, the world’s
Canadian diamond miner Lucara Diamond has terminated the sales agreement with HB Trading, following a “material breach of financial commitments” by HB. Lucara says it will continue to use its established mechanisms to sell Karowe’s rough diamond production, namely through its Clara diamond sales platform, traditional tenders and other value-added mechanisms for stones. “The Lucara production profile is unique in the diamond industry and the company will continue to look at innovative sales mechanisms to maximise the
A fancy-vivid-blue diamond with a high estimate of $50 million will be the star of an upcoming Geneva jewelry auction at Christie’s. The pear-shaped, 17.61-carat Bleu Royal diamond is the largest internally flawless gem of its color ever to appear at auction, Christie’s said Monday. It will headline the November 7 Magnificent Jewels sale. The stone has spent the past 50 years in a private collection. Now set in a ring, it is entering the
Petra Diamonds gave a downbeat outlook after weak rough demand drove the company into the red in the most recent financial year. Revenue slid 42% to $325.3 million for the 12 months that ended June 30, the miner reported Friday. Sales volume dropped 33% to 2.3 million carats, with the average price falling 14% to $139 per carat. The slump reflected decrease in production, the deferral of sales to the 2024 fiscal year due to
Inventory in the diamond trade will remain high for the time being amid reduced retail demand, but the market will eventually rebound, De Beers has predicted. “While there have been some positive signals in some countries, with US inflation continuing to fall and the economy proving more resilient than anticipated, 2023 consumer demand for natural diamonds is expected to be below the record levels seen in 2021 and 2022,” the miner said in its annual Diamond Insight
The Indian diamond sector has recommended a two-month freeze on rough imports, its most drastic emergency measure since the Covid-19 crisis. The pause will run from October 15 to December 15, five leading trade organizations said in a joint statement. They came to the decision at a meeting of more than 100 industry representatives the same day, and said they would review the situation in the first week of December. The move is a response
Namibian President Hage Geingob expressed the view that the United States is overlooking investment opportunities in green hydrogen projects and mineral resources within the southern African nation. Meanwhile, the European Union has shown significant interest in these prospects. In December, German officials visited Namibia with the intention of exploring investments in response to their quest for new energy sources to facilitate a transition to cleaner technologies. This move is partly driven by the need to
It’s touted by some as possibly the world’s biggest-ever deep-water oil find. The discovery off the shores of Namibia last year by TotalEnergies and Shell of an estimated 11-billion barrels of crude has generated understandable excitement in the southern African country. Even if only a small portion of that potential load valued at about $1 trillion at current prices – is realistically recoverable, it holds the promise of untold riches for this nation of 2.7
The Energy Invest: Namibia 2023 publication the official investment report on Namibia’s oil, natural gas, power, mining, and renewable energy sectors will be launched at the “Invest in Namibia Energies” strategic session at African Energy Week 2023 in Cape Town on October 18. Endorsed by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and produced by Energy Capital & Power in partnership with the African Energy Chamber, National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), Namibia Investment Promotion and
