Gems and Jewelry sector development strategy by end-January

PRESS RELEASE
Gems and Jewelry Strategy to be finalized by end-January
LAHORE(Pakistan) Gems and Jewelry Sector Development Strategy will be finalized and submitted to the government for approval by end-January.
This was told at a meeting on Gems and Jewelry sector held here with Chairman Technology Upgradation and Skill Development Company (TUSDEC), Almas Hyder in the chair.
The meeting was attended among others by Advisor/Managing Director, TUSDEC, Suhael Ahmed, Asad-ur-Rehman of Strategic Working Group (SWOG) on Gems and Jewelry sector, Chairman Gems and Gemmological Institute of Pakistan (GGIP), Peshawar, Khalid Sultan Khawaja and representatives of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority and consultancy firm, J.E. Austen.
Speaking on this occasion, Chairman TUSDEC, Almas Hyder assured the participants of the meeting that TUSDEC would extend all the possible help in the development of gems and jewelry sector in the country especially in terms of technology upgradation and skill development.
He said that the establishment of Computer-aided Designing and Manufacturing centres in Peshawar and other towns of the country would be of great benefit to the Gems and Jewlery sector by producing manpower of higher skills.
He also talked about other projects initiated by TUSDEC for technology upgradation and skill development in various industrial sectors.
Asad-ur-Rehman of SWOG on Gems and Jewelry sector said that the strategy being developed by the group with the help of USAID, consultancy agencies and a number of government organizations aimed at enhancing value-addition , with ultimate aim of increasing exports of polished and processed gemstones and gem-studded jewelry.
For this purpose, he added, the establishment of common facility centres for training and manufacturing and Gem identification and certification labs had been planned.
“We need support of TUSDEC in the accomplishment of these projects,” he said.
Quoting World Gold Council’s statistics, he said that Pakistan with an annual gold consumption of 150 tonnes, was seventh largest consumer of yellow metal in the world.
Chairman Gems and Gemmological Institute of Pakistan, Khalid Sultan Khawaja briefed the meeting on the courses being offered by the facility set up jointly by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association of Rough and Un-Polished precious and semi-precious stones (APCEA).
He said that the students at the institutes were being trained in gemology and gems-cutting.



Muhammad Luqman
Head Media and Public Relations
TUSDEC