Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry sees marble sector earning over $200mn/year

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A meeting was held at the Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) premises to review ways and means to resolve issues the marble industry faces.

The PCJCCI has urged the government to incentivise the marble industry of Pakistan for value addition to encourage exports worth over $200 million annually. The PCJCCI suggested setting up a marble city in the federal capital and the establishment of more Common Facility and Training Centres (CFTCs) in the country with the collaboration of China.

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PCJCCI President Wang Zihai said the government should pay special attention to the development of the marble and granite industry as it could pave the way to the rapid recovery of the economy by increasing exports. Pakistan has enormous potential to promote exports of marble products as it possesses marble and granite reserves of around 350 million tonnes and 64 varieties of marble and granite stones, President Zihai added.

“Currently, the global market for marble and granite was estimated at around $62 billion, but Pakistan’s share was below one percent, which should be a cause of concern for the policymakers,” Zihai said, adding that with government support, the marble industry could become the backbone of the economy.

PCJCCI’s two Vice Presidents, Ehsan Choudhry and Sarfaraz Butt, underlined vital issues. Ehsan Choudhry highlighted the need to facilitate new ways to overcome electricity obstacles that cause problems in the whole sector. On the other hand, Sarfaraz Butt referred to the need for upgrading machinery that could reduce the wasted products and bring the country’s marble sector into a modern era.

With a share of almost 85 per cent, China is the major importer of Pakistani marble. China is interested in local marbles and joint ventures with Pakistani marble exporters. However, security reasons and deteriorating law and order situation were demoralising the investors, the PCJCCI said.

Source: www.thenews.com.pk