SMEDA, Mine Owners Discuss Gypsum Cluster Uplift Strategy

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Aug, 2018 ) :Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and Frontier Mine Owners Association organized a joint workshop in Karak to discuss the current scenario and future course of action for the development of gypsum cluster of Kohat Division, said a press release issued here on Sunday.

Planning Commission, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms has engaged SMEDA under Vision 2025 to undertake a comprehensive Research/Feasibility Study on Cluster Based Mineral Sector Transformation Plan.

The workshop chaired by Abdul Qayyum, member PSC was participated by 25 prominent gypsum mine owners, processors and traders.

The participants included Hazrat Ali (Mian Libab Gul & Co), Tauseef (M. Janan Co.), Mehmood Shah (Labor President, KP), Hafizullah (Mineral Project Coordinator, SMEDA), Anwer Iqbal (Mineral Focal Person KP, SMEDA), and Dr. Zubair of Khushal Khan Khattak University, Karak.

The stakeholders discussed in detail about the issues faced by the Gypsum Cluster Kohat in specific and the Gypsum Value Chain in general. They identified the major issues to be the poor mine access roads, mineral act related issues, unavailability of loans and heavy machinery to mine lease owners, absence of facilities to mine workers, limited markets for gypsum products, and gas and electricity problems.

The participants suggested that in order to address the infrastructure related issues the government should go beyond committees and come up with separate mineral magistrates. Similarly, the mine lease holders should be given loans out of the collected royalty.

They emphasized upon the need of common machinery pool for the Gypsum cluster on the model of Marble Machinery Pools of PASDEC and CIPK.

The stakeholders expressed that the as the low-priced gypsum products require the industry to be established within closest proximity to mine areas, therefore the government should ensure separate electric grid station, and gas connections especially to the plaster producers. The help of government in identification of efficient machinery and market venues was also requested.

The participants appreciated the initiative of the SMEDA under the project of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, to having organized a Gypsum specific productive workshop.