MMCZ invites individuals & corporates to register as subagents
The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), which earlier this year announced a mop-up exercise of the country’s gemstones, has yet again called for individuals and corporates to participate in buying and selling gemstones as subagents of the company.
Prince Sunduzani
The move is meant to plug the illicit flow of gemstones, which are finding their way out of the country through illegal channels.
The country is said to be losing over 50 million dollars every year through overnight and illicit sales of the country’s gemstones.
The Idea to have sub-agents started about three years back although several individuals wishing to be a part of the initiative fell short of MMCZ’s requirements and ended up failing to register.
It has had many false starts since the issuing of the SI 256 of 2019 and reports are that no subagents have been licenced before.
“Interested Zimbabwean citizens are invited to submit an expression of interest to be considered and licensed as MMCZ subagents to purchase coloured gemstones around the country and sell the same through the corporation as per MMCZ Act.
Chapter 21:04. MMCZ Gemstones sub agents are appointed in terms of SI 256 of 2019,” said MMCZ.
“The function of an MMCZ gemstone sub-agents is to buy coloured gemstones from small scale miners within Special Grants as defined in the SI 256 of 2019 and sell the coloured gemstones through Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe.”
The deadline for the application is 14 June 2022.
This call dovetails with the calls by the country’s biggest mining body, Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF), to formalise the gemstone industry.
The organisation held a meeting with MMCZ in Harare, in March and proposed the formalization of operations of Artisanal and Small Scale Miners in the Gemstones industry, which includes among others, MMCZ issues subagents licenses for the trading of Gemstones through ZMF and creation of a round-robin education and awareness campaign in all gemstone mining districts.