Tanzania has unveiled yet more tourism attractions, this time round coming up with two of the world's biggest tanzanite stones.
The Government that purchased the gems from a smallscale miner, Kurian Laizer, who unearthed them in Mirerani, Simanjiro, Manyara Region, is set to use the stones as tourism attractions that will earn the country foreign currencies from tourists.
The Minister for Minerals, Mr. Dotto Biteko, who was handed over the two stones on Wednesday in Mirerani after the government paid a record 7,744,152,703.82/- for them, hinted that they might be preserved in the National Museum. The stones weigh nine and five kilogrammes.
Mr. Biteko, who subsequently received a phone call from President John Magufuli who spoke with the public through the mobile phone, said that the Government would look for the best way to go about the precious stones that were mined more than 1,800 metres underground.
The procurement process involved several ministries and institutions such as the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Tanzania (BoT).
Speaking during the ceremony that was attended by a regional commissioner, district commissioners and high level officials, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Hamisi Kigwangalla, said the stones may be used for tourism purposes.
Dr. Kigwangalla,who recently launched a new tourism season at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) when he received the first international passenger plane – Ethiopian Airways - took to the social media, speaking of the newly expected tourism feat.
"The largest Tanzanite stones ever have been mined by an artisanal miner Saniniu Laizer and bought by the Tanzanian government at TZS 7.8billion. The Government is considering using them for tourism purposes. #TanzaniaUnforgettable #HK," said Mr Kigwangalla in his Tweeter account.
Tanzania opened its skies for passenger planes recently, after most airlines grounded their planes due to outbreak of Coronavirus, meaning that tourists had to stay home as most countries where they come from were under lockdown.
Tanzania took a different approach, with some activities going on but observing necessary precautions.
Several followers of Dr. Kigwangalla on Twitter commended the move, saying it was good news and a new source of revenue for the government, advising that the stones should never be exported.
They were of the view that it was possible that in two years or so the money spent on buying the stones would have been generated through sight-seeing.
President Magufuli is the one who came up with the initiative and advised that the government buys the stones, saying that if it did not, foreigners would purchase and place them in their museums as tourist attractions.
Minister Biteko revealed that the president told him that this would mean that even Tanzanians would end up travelling to, say, the Far East, to see the attractions.
The buying and signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Laizer as a seller while the Government was represented by Minister Biteko, Deputy Minister for Finance and Planning, Dr. Ashatu Kijaji, BoT Governor, Professor Florens Luoga as well as leaders and officials from the ministries, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara region.