DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Chairman of the All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association (APCEA) Iftikhar Ahmed attended a meeting at the Ministry of Industries and Production to discuss the proposed gemstone policy, with a particular focus on import and export, value addition, and banking and financial mechanisms.
The meeting, chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, was also attended by former APCEA chairman Zulfiqar Ahmed Siddiqui, APCEA Executive Committee member Farooq Zaman Shah, the secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Production, the chief executive officer of the Pakistan Stone Development Company, representatives of provincial mining and minerals departments, and members of the private sector. Khan said the draft policy and quality standards had been aligned with international benchmarks following extensive consultations with experts. He added that the policy aimed to accelerate growth, promote value addition and transform Pakistan’s gemstones sector into a competitive, export-oriented industry.
Participants noted that the sector continues to face serious challenges, including high wastage, limited value addition and declining exports. Owing to unscientific extraction and processing methods, wastage of gemstones can reach up to 50 per cent at various stages. Despite vast potential, gemstone exports have remained between $5 and $7 million in recent years.
The government, the meeting was told, plans to support the sector through targeted financing, streamlined facilitation and smart incentives to stimulate growth.
Speaking on the occasion, APCEA Chairman Iftikhar Ahmed expressed reservations over certain provisions of the draft policy order. He said APCEA, being a key stakeholder in the gems and minerals sector since 1989, should be given adequate representation, proposing that at least four APCEA members be notified as members of the newly established statutory authority.
He further suggested that the authority adopt APCEA’s existing registration system for new members, describing it as “foolproof”. Mr Ahmed also opposed the proposal to fix the value of gemstones through gemologists or customs appraisers, arguing that such valuation did not fall within their jurisdiction.
He cautioned that mandatory registration of APCEA members with other organisations could discourage traders, reduce membership and harm the legal gems and minerals trade. He urged the prime minister and the relevant minister to consider APCEA’s reservations while finalising the policy.
