The problems confronted by the gem and jewelry business in Sri Lanka had been mentioned within the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Surroundings, Pure Sources and Sustainable Improvement which met lately, below the chairmanship of Hon. Ajith Mannapperuma, Member of Parliament.
On this committee assembly, representatives of Sri Lanka’ s gems and jewelry enterprise associations participated and introduced the present points confronted by them.
Thus, the necessity for a nationwide coverage concerning the gem and jewelry business was emphasised and a proposal associated to a nationwide coverage ready by a enterprise affiliation was introduced to the committee.
Accordingly, the chairman of the committee, Hon. Ajith Mannapperuma, instructed to take the subsequent steps to organize a nationwide coverage with the consensus of all stakeholders.
Hon. Sajith Premadasa, the Chief of the Opposition, who participated on this assembly, acknowledged that the issues on this sector might be categorized below the next sectors: gem mining, gem slicing, sprucing, and worth including, commerce actions together with import and export, commerce promotion, and many others. Hon. Premadasa additional talked about {that a} report ought to be ready and dropped at the eye of the Gem and Jewelry Authority, Ministry of Finance, and related establishments. The representatives additionally identified the information in regards to the difficulties in acquiring permits for gem mining. The committee emphasised that the method will be made environment friendly by issuing licenses collectively to all related businesses for the issuance of licenses not less than in the future per week on the regional workplace of the Gems and Jewelery Authority.
In the meantime, the representatives identified that because of the ban on the import of gold, the enterprise group concerned within the jewellery manufacturing business, focusing on the tourism sector, is struggling at present.
It was revealed that these enterprise group who deal solely in international foreign money brings an enormous quantity of international change to the nation and proposed to make use of part of that international change they earn and permit them to import gold for the enterprise. It was additionally acknowledged that because of the taxes imposed by the federal government on the gems and jewelery business, the businessmen engaged on this sector are struggling.
Accordingly, the chairman of the committee mentioned that the eye of the Ministry of Finance might be given to those issues instantly. The lower within the variety of employees getting into the gem and jewelery business was additionally mentioned. The MPs and the representatives current identified the necessity to set up coaching institutes within the areas the place this business is predicated and take steps to popularize this sector.
Using new know-how within the discipline of gem and jewelry, points arising in export, tax points and many others. had been additionally mentioned within the committee. Accordingly, the issues introduced on this committee might be ready as a report and steps might be taken to seek out options to them after discussions with the accountable establishments, the chairman of the committee mentioned.
Chief of the opposition Hon. Sajith Premadasa, committee members Hon. Akila Ellawala, Hon. Waruna Liyanage, Hon. Nalaka Bandara Kottegoda and Hon. (Dr.) Thilak Rajapaksa and Member of Parliament Hon. Chandima Weerakkodi additionally participated on this committee assembly.
