our correspondent
GILGIT
Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation GB Haider Khan said that the region has massive reserves of precious and semi precious stones provincial government has formulated comprehensive strategies for development of gems and stone sector.
Talking to media men at his office here on Wednesday, he said the strategies were also comprised on revenue generation from gems and minerals sector.
Haider Khan while highlighting the importance of stone cutting and polishing said that cutting and polishing can increase worth of any rough stone 50 to 100 times. He said that different gems and minerals departments had imported foreign cutting and polishing machinery and were imparting training in stone cutting and polishing.
He said that few private organizations were also working for development of gems sector in Gilgit Baltistan. He also informed that lease policy for traders of Gilgit Baltistan is also underway.
