JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Namibia Minister of Mines and Energy Isak Katali has appointed Diamond Manufacturers Association of Namibia (Daiman) president Burhan Seber to the Diamond Board of Namibia for a term of four years.
In addition to his directorship at Daiman, which is one of 16 members of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA), Seber is the MD and majority shareholder of Hardstone Processing, one of the 12 sightholders of the Namibian Diamond Trading Company.
Namibia's Diamond Board comprises 14 government-appointed members and advises the Minister on matters relating to the diamond industry and the control and protection of the country's diamond resources.
Seber explained that the board's main objective is to safeguard and maximise the benefits of the State’s diamond resource in line with the government’s 2030 vision, which sets targets to eradicate poverty by 2030.
“This is particularly important in today’s climate, where producer countries are the most vulnerable. It is an honour to be appointed to the board and, as such, be entrusted to advise the Minister in affairs of such national importance," he said on Wednesday.
IDMA president Maxim Shkadov added that Seber’s appointment and active involvement in the board's work would benefit communications between the manufacturers and the various governmental offices and institutions that regulate the diamond industry.