Ethiopia has launched a National Precious Metals Refinery at the Bole Lemi Special Economic Zone, with the facility expected to process more than 600 tonnes of precious metals annually. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali announced the launch in a statement via social media on Saturday, October 10, describing the facility……
Ethiopia has launched a National Precious Metals Refinery at the Bole Lemi Special Economic Zone, with the facility expected to process more than 600 tonnes of precious metals annually.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali announced the launch in a statement via social media on Saturday, October 10, describing the facility as a step towards increasing domestic value addition and strengthening the country’s mining sector.
The refinery was established through a partnership between Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) and Sam Precious Metals.
According to Abiy, the facility is expected to position Ethiopia as a regional hub for precious-metals refining while boosting export earnings, creating skilled jobs and supporting the jewellery industry.
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“This initiative reflects the Medemer government’s commitment to linking our productive resources with industrial capacity,” the prime minister said.
He added that the project would contribute to building “a more transparent and competitive gold value chain.”
Abiy said the refinery represents part of the government’s efforts to move beyond extracting natural resources to processing them locally and generating greater economic value.
“From resource extraction to industrial transformation, we are creating greater value at home,” he said.
The project is also expected to strengthen Ethiopia’s capacity to process precious metals domestically, potentially expanding opportunities across the mining and jewellery industries.