Key Takeaways
- The Ministry of Industries and Production has established four technical groups to address challenges in the marble industry.
- These groups aim to improve finishing standards, modernize production processes, and increase exports.
- The private sector highlighted the need for modern extraction technologies and better market access.
The Ministry of Industries and Production has formed four technical groups to address specific challenges in the marble industry, according to Advisor to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan.
These groups will focus on marble finishing, technology upgradation, value addition, and export promotion, working towards enhancing the sector’s competitiveness in international markets.
The meeting, chaired by Khan, reviewed the challenges facing the marble industry and discussed measures to improve value addition, finishing standards, and modernize production processes.
Participants included Rana Ihsan Afzal, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industry, Ahsan Ali Mangi, Secretary Industries and Production, and representatives from the private sector.
The Prime Minister has constituted a Steering Committee to address longstanding challenges in the marble and natural stone sector, unlock its export potential, and modernize the industry.
Pakistan’s marble industry has significant potential to contribute to industrial growth, employment generation, and foreign exchange earnings, provided that the sector moves beyond conventional extraction practices.
Private sector representatives highlighted several structural constraints, including outdated extraction techniques, inadequate access to modern technology, logistical challenges, and limited value addition.
They emphasized the need to adopt modern extraction technologies and improve processing techniques to minimize wastage and maximize the commercial value of the country’s natural stone resources.
Improving finishing standards, product quality, and processing capabilities was seen as essential to making Pakistani marble more competitive in international markets.
The participants also called for greater attention to logistics, market development, and export facilitation to enable local producers to access new buyers and expand their international footprint.
