PESHAWAR: Chief Executive, Community Research and Development Organization, Imran Inam Wednesday said that patronage on the government level was a prerequisite for the promotion and expansion of business of local clusters of gemstones. The country has vast reserves of gemstones and owing to its demand in a foreign market, a business of over Rs 100 million was being done in the Gemstones Market of Namak Mandi, Peshawar. Over 2000 people were associated with this business in Namak Mandi and gemstones were being supplied to the foreign market through online business from here. He was talking at a seminar of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), wherein people associated with the gemstones business were present. The seminar was organized to promote the business of local cluster gems and the people associated with this business. He said with regard to the gemstones business, the Namak Mandi Market comes in first place in the Asian subcontinent. Today’s seminar, he said, also brought another issue into the limelight the Namak Mandi gemstones market where the business of millions of rupees takes place on monthly basis was situated in the dark and narrow alleys. He said it was the need of the hour that the government pays prompt attention towards this issue and proposes a suitable place for the gemstones market according to the needs of the modern era. He demanded that the business and people associated with it should be provided proper security cover and exhibitions be arranged to promote these treasures of our country. He said there was also a need to introduce proper mechanisms through which the buyers and sellers of the gemstones could have safe contacts and business deals.