The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has demanded the government to establish Gems & Jewelry Authority at the earliest, as a draft on the inception of authority has already been approved by the federal cabinet.

Speaking during a parliamentary panel meeting on Tuesday, President RCCI, Nadeem Rauf said, “we demand immediate establishment of the Gems Authority so that exports of non-conventional sectors like gems and jewelry can be enhanced.” He stated that RCCI always took effective steps to bring the non-conventional sectors to the fore. He added RCCI successfully organized Gems & Jewellery Exhibitions in 2018 and 2019, while the third Gems Jewellery & Fashion Expo will be held in May 2022.

Chairman Prime Minister’s Task Force on Gems and Jewellery, Engineer Gul Asghar Khan, who attended the meeting as a special guest, said that the Gems Authority would soon be established for the development of the gems and jewelry sector. He shared important data analysis in comparison with India, saying that India’s exports in gems and jewelry sectors crossed $40 billion, whereas in Pakistan the exports were only $24 million.

On the occasion, the Chairman Task Force also cut the ribbon of a soft launch of the RCCI 3rd Gems & Jewellery Expo to be held in May 2022.

The Chair, Fayyaz Qureshi, shed light in detail on the problems faced by the gems & jewelry sector. He said there was a need for certifications and value addition of precious stones, adding that taxes and duties should be reduced. Relevant people from different sectors should be included in the authority, he demanded.

Group Leader Sohail Altaf, Senior Vice President Asim Malik, Vice President Talat Awan, former Presidents Dr. Hassan Saroush, Dr. Shamail Dawood, Mian Humayun Pervez, President Small Chamber Asif Idrees, members of Task Force, and RCCI Executive Committee members were present on the occasion.

Source: Pro Pakistani