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| Thursday, 4 November 2004 |
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Trade Zone for Gems and Jewellery to be set up in Beruwela The first Trade Zone exclusively for Gems and Jewellery will be set up in Beruwela. The Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development has made arrangements to complete the setting up of the Trade Zone within the next two years. The Sri Lanka Gems and Jewellery Authority will spend Rs. 10 million for initial work of the Trade Zone. The area covering Panadura, Horana and Hikkaduwa will be declared as the Gems and Jewellery triangle. A meeting was held at Paththakade, Beruwela recently to seek the views of the members of the trade regarding the setting up of the new Trade Zone. Deputy Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Hussain Bhaila chaired the meeting organised by the Sri Lanka Gems and Jewellery Authority. The authority has already set up a mobile project office in connection with the weekly Gem Pola at Paththakade, Beruwela. It is also expected to set up a complete Gem testing and assaying lab in the area. It is proposed to improve the quality standards of the products to encourage businessmen to indulge in value addition of Gemstones imported from Madagascar, Malavi, Tansania and Mianmar to set up a Geuda burning facility and a Gem Auction with an information centre. There are 55 Gem exporters, 66 jewellery exporters and around 200 licensed gem merchants involved in the Beruwela gem business. The project plans to increase the number of entrepreneurs in the business. Improving the standards of Gem burning, cutting and polishing for exports and finding new markets are the other objectives. The authority hopes to obtain the support of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Customs, Ceylon Tourist Board and Investors for this project. Addressing the businessmen Deputy Minister, Hussain Bhaila said that the project has been planned for a long time and he was happy that it is being implemented now. He said that there is a marked improvement in the gems and jewellery sector and President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga is very keen to support this sector which is a vital area in our economy. That is the very reason that the President has taken over the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, he said. Chairman, Sri Lanka Gems and Jewellery Authority, Asoka Jayawardena, Director General T. Piyadasa, Senior Manager D. R. S. Dissanayake, Nissar Hajiar and Osman Hajiar of the Beruwela Gems Merchants Society were also present. |
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