Acting President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Rafat Farid has called upon the government to focus on marble industry, which has great potential to promote exports and transform Pakistan into a fast growing economy.
He said this while talking to a delegation of local marble industry that called on him led by Muhammad Shakeel Munir, former Chairman All Pakistan Marble Industries Association.
Mian Abdul Sami, Farukh Majeed, Mian Irfan, Khalid Mian, Arif Butt and Naeem Mughal were in the delegation. Iftikhar Anwar Sethi Vice President ICCI, Baser Daud, Sheikh Amir Waheed, M. Naveed Malik, Mehmood Warraich and others were also present at the occasion.
Rafat Farid said that all provinces of Pakistan including Baluchistan and KP have huge deposits of marble and granite. However, lack of new technology was forcing marble industry to use old quarrying methods due to which the standard quarry wastage in Pakistan was up to 73 percent of the gross produce.
He stressed upon the government to cooperate with marble industry in introducing latest technology & machinery for promoting mechanized mining in the country.
Iftikhar Anwar Sethi, Vice President ICCI said that global market for marble and granite was estimated at over $62 billion, but Pakistan’s share in it was below one percent. He urged that government should allow duty free import of marble machinery that would help marble industry to upgrade itself and compete more effectively in international market.
Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, former Chairman, All Pakistan Marble Industries Association said that China was importing raw marble and granite from Pakistan and after processing & value addition was earning huge profits. He said that quantum of marble and granite exports could be increased manifolds by establishing marble industrial parks in collaboration with China under CPEC.
He said industrial parks will bring the cost effective cutting, blasting and finishing technology in Pakistan that will enhance the competitive edge of the industry and improve our exports significantly.
Published in Daily Times, January 16th 2019.