A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the Pakistan Stone Development Company (Pasdec) and the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) with the intention of fostering trade in dimensional stone (marble, granite and onyx).
They will seek to advance the marble and granite industry and increase its exports for the mutual benefit of the public and commercial sectors.
The agreement was signed by Brigadier Babar Miraj Shami, CEO of Pasdec, and ICCI President Muhammad Shakeel Munir.
The MoU states that Pasdec will offer technical assistance to the marble industry for the planning, creation, and execution of automated mining and processing facilities to encourage greater growth.
Additionally, it will offer technical support to the business community and investors to increase the exports of marble and granite goods.
Pasdec will work with the federal government to build projects such as machinery pool warehouses, marble cities, and other things.
In order to build a sector strategy for the marble and granite industry, Pasdec and the ICCI will collaborate and present ideas to the government.
To support the local dimensional stone mining industry, Pasdec will carry out a geotechnical study and offer machinery for rent or lease to the business community.
The two organizations will train workers for the dimension stone industry and offer the business sector in question technical help for skill development.
Munir said that the marble sector had great potential to grow and enhance exports of the country. He called the MoU between the ICCI and Pasdec a positive step towards harnessing the actual potential of the marble sector for better economic growth.
