Marble and granite industry of Pakistan can be transformed into a cutting-edge stone industry by adopting Chinese quarrying techniques. Pak China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) President S M Naveed stated this at a meeting with PCJCCI China affairs Wang Zihai here Wednesday. He said that export quantum of marble and granite can be increased many folds by establishing marble industrial parks in collaboration with China under CPEC to effectively utilize the valuable marble reserves of the country.
S M Naveed said that industrial parks would bring the cost-effective cutting, blasting and finishing technology in Pakistan that would enhance the competitive edge of the industry. All provinces in Pakistan have huge deposits of ornamental stones. Balochistan has rich confirmed deposits of marble and granite in Khuzdar, Loralai, Lasbela and Chaghi districts, whereas, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Malakand, Mardan, Hazara, Peshawar, and Kohat are the high-potential areas where quarrying and mining are already taking place, he added.
Identifying the major factors hindering the growth of marble industry in the country, he said the lack of quality production, the inconsistent supply of raw material and scarcity of the modern technology were the factors, which needed government attention. He suggested strengthening Pakistan Stone Development Company to fill in the missing chains in marble industry.
The extraction in Pakistan mainly comprises boring of holes in the bedrock, filled with explosives to blast the block, resulting not only in high wastage but also in smaller sized stone, substantially reducing the price, he said. The standard quarry wastage in the world is taken at 50 percent of the gross produce; however, in Pakistan, this reaches up to 73 percent, he said. According to him, wastage can be avoided by using latest wire-cutting technique and equipment, thus bright prospects of setting up joint ventures in the marble sector exist in Pakistan.
Escalating further about the policies and exemptions given by the Pakistani government to investors, S M Naveed said the government has abolished import duties on all quarrying and processing machinery to facilitate foreign investment, which is very encouraging and the local business community should upgrade their units by availing of this facility. He said, the global market for marble and granite was estimated at around $62 billion, but Pakistan's share was below one percent, which is a cause of concern for the policymakers.
Wang pledged to share this valuable information with the relevant counterparts in China and said that he would discuss the proposal for transferring marble extraction technology from China to Pakistan that would be beneficial for both countries.
They urged the government to establish model marble cities across the country, incorporating the training and research centres with state-of-the-art processing technology, engineering units, and warehousing facility through Pakistan Stone Development Company.