He sold the stones, which are deep blue or purple in color and found only in Tanzania, to the government for 7.7 billion Tanzanian shillings ($ 3.3 million).
After receiving a check during a ceremony attended by top Tanzanian government officials last week, Laizer said he would spend the funds in his community.
“The money I got from selling my Tanzanite, I am planning to use it to build a school to support my community and a shopping center to support my family,” he said in a broadcast on the state television channel TBC.
Tanzanian President John Magufuli congratulated the miner and said the achievement showed that “Tanzania is a rich country. This is for the benefit of artisanal miners.”
Biteko said that smaller miners should not be discouraged by the fact that they do not have modern mining technologies.
“The Tanzanites that have been discovered are [the] The largest Tanzanian in the history of Tanzanian mining in our country, that is why the President had to order us to buy and preserve them [them] until later, when we decide what we want to do with them, “Biteko said in the broadcast.
In recent years, Tanzania has made changes to its laws to increase its share of the benefits of discovering and selling resources.
As a result, foreign mining companies, including gold and graphite mining companies, must grant the government 16% free capital, as required by law.
Deputy Finance and Planning Minister Ashatu Kijaji said the discovery of the stone marks the beginning of a new era of business for local artisanal miners to benefit from the country’s resources.
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