Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 13, 2006 – Ethiopia loses 3,000 tones of gold and other precious to smugglers every year, the Ministry of Mines and Energy said, - Ethiopian Herald.

Ethiopia ’s State Minister of Mines and Energy Sinknesh Ejigu said the traditionally extracted gold and the precious metals have been smuggled out of the country via the neighboring countries.

Sinknesh Ejigu said this during a meeting held on 'traditional gold extraction' at Mizan Teferi town of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples State.

The Ethiopian official said some individuals have been inflicting severe damages on the natural resources of the nation through extracting gold illegally in areas which are secluded by the government.

Traditional extraction of gold and other precious metals by the local people results in excess wastage of the natural resources, she said, adding that the government has plans to provide training to traditional gold miners to curb the problem.

The State minister said the ministry has already provided licenses to organized traditional gold miners living in Adola Shakiso Woreda of the Oromia State.

She added that the miners supplied 500-800-kg of gold to the National Bank of Ethiopia until September 2006.

The day-long awareness-raising meeting has brought together 30 officials from Ethiopian government offices and law enforcement bodies.

Source: Agencies