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Islamabad, May 08, 2012 (PPI-OT): Public-private partnership is a must for quality improvement and value addition of products related to gemstone and jewellery sector, said Senator Mrs Semeen Yusuf Siddiqui on Tuesday.
Senator Mrs Semeen Yusuf Siddiqui, Chairpserson, Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company (PGJDC), was addressing the inaugural ceremony of 3-day Training Workshop on “Gemstone Identification and Evaluation”, jointly organized by Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) and PGJDC at PMNH, Garden Avenue, Shakarparian, Islamabad.
The workshop has been arranged to impart training to business persons about gemstones, their identification, characteristics, grading and gemstones value assessment. Over 40 persons from various chambers of commerce and industry are participating in the training workshop aimed at value addition and quality improvement of finished products. The workshop would highlight salient features of gemstone trade and certain pitfalls.
Mrs Semeen Yusuf Siddiqui welcomed a proposal of signing an MoU for public-private partnership to promote research for improving quality of gems and jewellery products.
The Senator suggested that there should be some training programme on business management for participants of the workshop so that they could effectively run their business and contribute to the national development.
She said PGJDC was established in 2007 and since then it is working for the development of the gemstone and jewellery sector. She said Gems and Jewellery Training and Manufacturing Centre of PGJDC, has various sub-centers and are offering different training courses to the interested persons.
Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) Chairman Prof. Dr. Manzoor H. Soomro in his address said that there should be an MoU between PMNH, which is a subisdiary department of PSF, to have a public-private partnership and to improve value addition of gems and jewellery products to compete the international market.
Dr. Soomro said PSF was established under an Act of Parliament and is answerable to the Parliament. He shared with the audience some of the major functions, achievements and programmes to promote science and technology research and education in the country.
He said PSF has two main organizations including Pakistan Scientific and Technological Centre (PASTIC) and PMNH. Dr. Soomro said PASTIC has sub centers in major cities to facilitate educational institutions and industrial establishments on scientific and technological information. The Chairman said PSF would soon establish a sub-centre of PASTIC in Gilgit-Baltistan.
He also spoke on PSF’s different S and T promotion and popularization programmes, especially, R and D Industry and Innovation Programmes. He said PSF provides funds for different R and D projects and for their approval the concept of products value additions is given priority.
The PSF Chairman said on Monday they arranged a programme in Gujranwala in collaboration with Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry for value addition of rice and to improve rice industry.
The Chairman hoped that the workshop would help improve quality of gemstone products.
Earlier, Dr. Syed Azhar Hasan explained different research and educational activities of PMNH and its role in science education and public awareness on natural resources of Pakistan. He said Pakistan was bestowed with vast reserves of precious and semi precious gemstones including ruby, emerald, tourmaline, garnet, topaz, aquamarine, spinel, jade, epidotic beryl and almost all known varieties of quartz etc. He said Pakistani gems and jewellery sector has huge potential to become a global leader by adopting modern industrial techniques and methodologies.
PGJDC Chief Executive Mr. Bukhtiar Khan also spoke on this occasion and highlighted achievements of their company. He paid glowing tributes to the services of Dr. Syed Shahid Hussain and Dr. Syed Tasser Hussain, former DGs of PMNH, for their contribution to the development of gemstone industry in Pakistan.
The workshop comprises different technical session in which Mr. Ilyas, Principal Gemologist, PGJDC will impart practical training of gemstones identification and evaluation to the participants.
For more information, contact:
Pakistan Science Foundation
1-Constitution Avenue,
Sector G-5/2, Islamabad
Pakistan
Tel: + 92 51 9202469-70
Fax: + 92 51 9202468