Diamonds double

LUANDA – Angola’s diamond production doubled last year to seven million carats and phenomenal growth is expected in 2006, a senior industry official said on Tuesday.

Production would reach 10 million carats this year, state diamonds company Endiama communications director Sebastiao Panzo told Reuters. “Production grew last year from 3,5 million carats to seven million carats and we expect some 10 million carats by December of this year,” Panzo said.Angola is sub-Saharan Africa’s second largest oil producer after Nigeria and one of the world’s largest diamond producers.The southwest African country’s economic growth is projected at a gigantic 27,6 per cent in 2006 buoyed by oil and diamonds revenues, Angola and the International Monetary Fund say.- Nampa-Reuters”Production grew last year from 3,5 million carats to seven million carats and we expect some 10 million carats by December of this year,” Panzo said.Angola is sub-Saharan Africa’s second largest oil producer after Nigeria and one of the world’s largest diamond producers.The southwest African country’s economic growth is projected at a gigantic 27,6 per cent in 2006 buoyed by oil and diamonds revenues, Angola and the International Monetary Fund say.- Nampa-Reuters