RENOWNED lawyer and journalist Dickson Jere has wondered why government has decided to suspend the 15 per cent export tax imposed on gemstones and precious stones – barely two months after it became effective. On Tuesday, Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane issued a Statutory Instrument No. 4 of 2025, to suspend export duty on precious stones and metals. According to a statement issued by Secretary to the Treasury Felix Nkulukusa, this is to allow local producers to compete more effectively during auctions and sales on the global market. Reacting to the development on his Facebook post, Wednesday, Jere noted that in December 2024, Kegem announced a decision to suspend operations at its mine, citing over supply...