June 05, 2006	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 8, 1427

Inaugurating the ‘marble city’ at Gaddani in Balochistan, the President General Pervez Musharraf assured the manufacturers that the government would serve as a facilitator to promote the marble industry and its mining will be undertaken by utilizing the latest technologies to avoid wastages.

About 300 units have been planned for the marble city on some 600 acres of land. Four units are currently in production at the facility and investment has been made by expatriate Pakistanis from USA, Japan, Spain and the UAE. The President also assured some other measures to help the marble industry.

The industry has failed to benefit from the marble boom. Disorganized and mismanaged and possessing poor technology, the industry has been shy of sizeable investment.

Pakistan is currently mining 40 types of natural colour marble and also dying the marble in various colours which is processed by 150 different units. Only now utilization of modern machines has started to produce qualitative products in bigger quantities.

The efficiency of marble processing industry depends on the quarry products. Development of the skills of the local quarry masters can improve the quality and raise productivity to meet international standards and demand. Private sector can be encouraged to establish a large number of marble enterprises in Balochistan, which would carry out the quarrying, processing and trading of marble products.

The use of out-dated technology in the mining results in some 70 per cent of wastage, as the explosives are used for the purpose. Obsolete methods are still in practice and a lot of breakage occurs.

The government needs to develop processing centres with automatic tiling plants in the Gaddani marble city and the president has assured that the equipment would be imported for the purpose.

Marble is largely used in construction and handicrafts sectors. Amongst the building stones, marble occupies a unique position. Marble slabs and handicrafts have great demand in national and international market. The ministry of industries and production has set a marble export target of $500 million.

Marble is an export-oriented sector. There is a big demand for this mineral in the Middle East, Far East and European countries, where almost 50 per cent of the world’s marble output is consumed. Pakistan earned $15.8 million foreign exchange with the export of marble in FY 2001-02.

The 40 per cent export was in the shape of handicraft, while the rest of 60 per cent in slabs and bricks form. Marble is exported to the USA, Dubai, Korea and Bangladesh while Europe is considered a potential market. What is needed is the tapping of the world markets and improving quality, value addition and bringing down the extraction losses.

Marble in commercial quantities is found at a number of places including Lasbela, Khuzdar and Chaghi districts. Commercial marble is defined as “any crystalline rock capable of taking a polish and suitable for decorative and structural purposes”.

Marble in Chaghi district is of onyx variety and is being mined since 1950’s. The term ‘onyx’ signifies a banded variety of quartz, highly prized as an ornamental stone.

The onyx is largely used for beads, brooches, ring-stones and other small ornamental objects, while the larger pieces are occasionally wrought in the form of cups, howls, vases etc. Onyx is the favourite stone for cameo work because its layers can be cut to show a colour contrast between the design and the background.

For its vast applications and uses, onyx marble is in great demand in the international market. The onyx marble from Chaghi can meet the international standards and demands if it is processed efficiently.

A marble policy should envisage the sanction of mining leases to private firms in Balochistan. Prospecting license may also be granted to firms for unexplored areas and the local private sector should be extended incentives for making investment in the marble sector. The marble city is a step in the right direction.