Islamabad: Pakistan’s government announced a new National Marble Policy aimed at boosting exports and industrial growth in the marble sector, according to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan. The policy was revealed during a high-level meeting with the All Pakistan Marble Industry Association and the Pakistan Stone Development Company (PASDEC) in Islamabad.

The meeting focused on addressing the challenges faced by the marble sector, including bottlenecks in exports and issues related to value addition. Mr. Khan highlighted the sector’s potential to strengthen the national economy by declaring the marble sector an industry.

Mr. Khan emphasized the need for increased exports through value addition and branding, stating, “The marble of Pakistan is of world-class quality.” The government aims to collaborate with industry stakeholders for policy-level reforms to enhance competitiveness and productivity.

The new policy is expected to create employment opportunities and provide support to investors and exporters. Training in modern skills and technical assistance will be prioritized to improve global competitiveness, with a push for modern technology and innovation in marble processing.

Mr. Khan also directed PASDEC and the Marble Association to explore collaborations with Italy in areas such as technology transfer and capacity building to further boost exports.