CAR Needs Control Over Diamond Fields, Clampdown On Fraud - Presidential Candidate

Mahamat Kamoun, who is running for president of the Central African Republic (CAR) in the Sunday's vote, told Sputnik he would tighten government oversight of the troubled diamond industry to reenter the global market, if elected

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th December, 2020) Mahamat Kamoun, who is running for president of the Central African Republic (car) in the Sunday's vote, told Sputnik he would tighten government oversight of the troubled diamond industry to reenter the global market, if elected.

The diamond-rich nation was banned from exporting diamonds after a 2013 coup to stem cash flows to its numerous armed groups. Some of those curbs were lifted after the 2016 presidential election.

Kamoun, who served as CAR's prime minister from 2014-2016, said the diamond industry needed to have its supply chain cleaned up to increase transparency.

"We need to reform this sector and fight against fraud and fraudulent exports and create a transparent chain of craftsmen, so that the diamond collectors who'd buy [diamonds] could trace the transmission," Kamoun said.

The politician proposed setting up control bodies to supervise diamond mining and shipment routes to neighboring countries. These agencies will apply sanctions to those who commit fraud, he said, to allow the country to generate higher tax revenues and attract investors.