The government has finalized plans to establish a dedicated statutory authority for Pakistan’s gemstone sector, alongside the creation of a National Warranty Office, under the proposed National Gemstones Policy. The move is aimed at unlocking the vast but underutilized potential of the gemstone industry, increasing exports, and bringing informal trade into the documented economy.
The decision was reviewed and approved during a high-level meeting chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar. Officials discussed structural reforms required to regulate, promote, and modernize the gemstone sector, which holds significant promise due to Pakistan’s rich natural reserves.
Pakistan is home to a wide variety of precious and semi-precious stones, including emeralds, rubies, sapphires, topaz, aquamarine, and tourmaline. Despite this natural advantage, the sector has long remained fragmented and largely informal, resulting in revenue losses, limited international credibility, and weak export growth. The proposed authority seeks to address these longstanding gaps through regulation, certification, and facilitation.
A key component of the policy is the establishment of a National Warranty Office, which will certify gemstones for quality, origin, and value. This step is expected to improve buyer confidence in international markets, particularly in Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia, where certified gemstones command higher prices. The warranty system will also help curb misdeclaration and undervaluation of exports.
To tackle under-invoicing, which has been a major regulatory concern, the policy proposes setting minimum export prices for gemstone shipments. Officials believe this will ensure fair valuation, increase foreign exchange earnings, and reduce illicit outflows associated with informal trade practices. Exporters will be required to comply with these benchmarks to prevent price manipulation.
Another major reform under the plan is the introduction of a fully online and simplified business registration system. The government aims to make it easier for miners, traders, cutters, and exporters to register their operations formally. By reducing bureaucratic hurdles, authorities hope to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to enter the documented economy.
Industry stakeholders have long demanded institutional backing, technical training, and access to global markets. The new gemstone authority is expected to act as a central body coordinating policy, skills development, technology adoption, and export promotion. It will also work closely with provincial governments, as gemstone mining is largely concentrated in regions such as Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
Officials believe that with proper regulation and branding, Pakistan’s gemstone exports could grow substantially over the next few years. The proposed reforms align with broader government efforts to diversify exports, strengthen industrial value chains, and increase foreign exchange inflows.
Once approved by the federal cabinet, the National Gemstones Policy is expected to mark a turning point for a sector that has long remained rich in potential but poor in structure.
