PM Shehbaz Orders ‘Brand Pakistan’ Gemstone Strategy and Centres of Excellence
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed strong displeasure over delays in the gemstone sector’s pilot project and ordered a Pakistan gemstone sector Brand Pakistan strategy, along with centres of excellence for value addition. He chaired a meeting on the sector on Wednesday and directed officials to present a comprehensive, time-bound plan next week.
The prime minister said developing the gemstone and jewellery sector was a priority and that delays would not be tolerated. He called for a complete ecosystem covering mining, cutting, polishing and value addition, warning that poor mining practices and smuggling cost Pakistan billions of dollars every year.
Pakistan gemstone sector Brand Pakistan push: what the PM ordered
Sharif directed officials to develop the “Brand Pakistan” strategy for gemstones, modelled on initiatives in other countries in the region. He also ordered the removal of obstacles delaying the pilot projects and model gemstone mines.
The push fits the government’s wider export drive. The prime minister has repeatedly told exporters to lift their performance as Pakistan targets export-led growth, and he has criticised exporters over sluggish shipments when the numbers lagged. A branded gemstone sector would add another export line.
Officials briefed the meeting on the pilot project covering exploration, cutting, polishing, value addition and export preparation. They said geological mapping of identified gemstone areas is complete, and eight new blocks in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been marked for further exploration.
Skardu centre of excellence and the local angle
The meeting was told that 4.8 kanals of land have been transferred for a centre of excellence in Hussainabad, Skardu. Funding is available and construction is expected to begin soon.
Land has also been identified for projects in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad. The Islamabad centre will operate from an alternative location until its permanent facility is built.
This matters most in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan’s gemstone heartland. Skardu and its surrounding valleys are where much of the country’s gemstone mining happens, and traders there have long sold stones in rough, uncut form. A centre of excellence for cutting and polishing in Hussainabad would let value addition happen locally instead of abroad, meaning higher returns for miners and traders in the region. Skardu-II recently elected its representative in the GB polls, and the district is increasingly on the map for national projects.
Rs1 billion PSDP allocation and export facilitation desks
The government has allocated Rs1 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme for the gemstone sector this year. To help exporters, export facilitation desks have been set up at 80 branches of 10 banks across seven cities.
Other sectors are getting the same treatment: industry advisers have pushed export strategies for the poultry sector, and the gemstone desks give exporters in seven cities direct banking support.
Time-bound plan due next week
Sharif directed officials to submit a comprehensive, time-bound plan next week covering the establishment of the centres of excellence and other measures to develop the sector and raise exports.
Sharif has run a tight schedule of deadlines lately, including one for ministries to hand over data to the Digital Nation Pakistan initiative. The test now is whether the pilot project and the Skardu centre move from briefings to groundwork.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ‘Brand Pakistan’ gemstone strategy?
It is a branding and export strategy for Pakistan’s gemstone sector ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, modelled on similar initiatives in other countries in the region. The goal is to market Pakistani gemstones internationally as a national brand rather than as unbranded rough stones.
Where will the centres of excellence be built?
A centre of excellence for value addition is planned for Hussainabad, Skardu, where 4.8 kanals of land have been transferred. Land has also been identified in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad.
How much funding has the sector received?
The government has allocated Rs1 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme for the gemstone sector this year. Funding for the Skardu centre of excellence is available, with construction expected to start soon.
How will exporters benefit?
Export facilitation desks at 80 branches of 10 banks across seven cities will support gemstone exporters, and eight new exploration blocks have been identified in Gilgit-Baltistan, AJK and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
When is the full plan due?
The prime minister directed officials to submit a comprehensive, time-bound plan next week covering the centres of excellence and measures to develop the sector and increase exports.
Source: ProPakistani
