Business

Country’s marble reserves can aid economy

PASDEC says investment needed to tap 297 billion tons of reserves

Peer Muhammad August 20, 2016

Pakistan’s annual quarry production is 3.82 million tons. According to a province-wise break up; K-P’s production is 1.7 million tons, Balochistan 1.4 million tons, FATA 0.5 million tons, Sindh 0.17 million tons and Punjab 0.0525 million tons. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has an estimated 297 billion tons of marble and granite reserves in all the four provinces, FATA, and Gilgit-Baltistan, which could help the country’s economy in many ways if tapped properly, said Pakistan Stones Development Company (PASDEC) in a presentation to the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister (CM) on Friday.

“Over 170 types of stones have been explored so far and a large number of precious stones are to be further explored,” the company administration informed the CM, adding that if investment is made in the sector, then the country would soon be on its way to prosperity.

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G-B Chief Minister Hafizur Rehman invited the company to expand its development projects, where a significant potential of precious stones exists. He also assured full cooperation of his government in promoting the industry in the province.

According to a copy of the presentation, over 2,000 processing units are operational in the country and more than 1200 quarries are operational. Besides, the industry has provided jobs to around 200,000 individuals.

The current contribution of the industry through export of marble and granite amounts to $134 million.

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Pakistan’s annual quarry production is 3.82 million tons. According to a province-wise break up; K-P’s production is 1.7 million tons, Balochistan 1.4 million tons, FATA 0.5 million tons, Sindh 0.17 million tons and Punjab 0.0525 million tons.

“To promote, develop and up-grade the dimensional stone sector of Pakistan and to strengthen and support the technical capabilities of dimensional stone mining, pragmatic steps need to be taken,” said the presentation

However, it noted that to enhance competitiveness of the sector as a whole, PASDEC has undertaken a number of projects including establishment of model quarries, up-gradation of quarries, development of marble cities and established machinery pools.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2016.

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COMMENTS (5)

kashmiri | 8 years ago | Reply @Pashtun: we buy locally produce low quality marble at international price, we should buy Chinese marble which is much lower in price but better in quality than kpk marble.

Deja vu | 8 years ago | Reply First there was thar coal, then reko diq gold, then chiniot iron, and now there's marble. At this rate there's bound to be a huge diamond quarry discovered one of these days

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Lost yer marbles | 8 years ago | Reply They're joking right? Or have they invented a process to convert marble to gold?

Lolz | 8 years ago | Reply Why Pakistan Stones Development Company (PASDEC)? Why not a local platform whose capacities could be enhanced through different programs.

Pashtun | 8 years ago | Reply means the lowest reserves are in punjab but punjab gets more than all pakistan. In jobs more seats are allocated for punjab than other provinces, kashmir and FATA altogether. Distribution and control centers of all resources are in punjab. Why ???????? KPK and Kashmir producing electricity and lahore is distributing. Balochistan and Sindh are producing gas but they are getting nothing. Why ????????????????????

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