The development of gem and jewellery sector needs a strong and effective countrywide trade body apart from a lucrative package of incentives and facilities.
It was observed in a joint meeting of the stakeholders from Gem & Jewellery sectors held on Thursday at head office of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda).
According to a Smeda spokesman Shahab Khawaja, CEO of the organisation presided over the meeting with a thick participation of the manufacturers, merchants and exporters of the sector.
At the occasion, the stakeholders of Gem & Jewellery sector gave a number of the viable proposals for development of their trade. They emphasised to develop their sector in the way it could be able to penetrate in the export market.
They called for modern technology, designing, training and financing facilities to achieve the goal. But, the stakeholders were of the common view that no package of incentives would be implementable in the absence of a strong and effective association of the trade at national level.
The spokesman said that Smeda Chief Shahab Khawaja apprised the participants that Federal Minister of Industries and Production Jehangir Khan Tareen had advised them to formulate development strategies for the seven SME sectors prioritised by himself in a recent meeting at Smeda.
"We have begin with Gem & Jewellery and Marble & Granite sector on emergent basis," he said adding that a countrywide move for having feed back from stakeholders of the industry had been initiated.
Smeda Chief assured his organisation would continue its work in the same pace to design the development strategies for next five sectors; Light Engineering, Fisheries, Furniture, Leather and sports goods.
Earlier, Iqbal Kidwai, GM Operations, gave a presentation on strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats prevailing in the Gem & Jewellery sectors.