President discusses steps needed to develop gem and jewellery industry

A meeting between President Maithripala Sirisena and the representatives of the country’s gem and jewellery industry has discussed the difficulties faced by the industry due to new taxes imposed by the government.

The government recently slapped a 15 percent tax on gold imports to put a stop to gold smuggling to India for an arbitrage gain. “Attention was drawn to issues like relieving the levy of 15 percent on gold imports, difficulties faced by the gem and Jewellery industry due to the new taxes imposed by the government and to reduce the mining licence fee charged by the Lands Commission,” a statement by the President’s Media Division said.

It was also discussed the necessity of using abandoned paddy fields which could not be used for cultivation, for mining activities and to implement a process to encourage the mining workers to refill and rehabilitate mine sites once mining is finished.

The President also discussed the issues that have arisen with mining process as well as in the procedure of issuance of mine permits, and the President instructed the officials to provide relief to miners considering the reality of the regional situation and to take legal actions to cancel the licenses of the miners who do not take steps to close the mine sites when mining is finished.

Attention was also paid to the issues arising when carrying out raids on illegal mining and preparation of a proper mechanism to take legal action against fake gemstones suppliers.

Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Gayantha Karunathilake, Daya Gamage, Deputy Minister Ajith Mannapperuma, Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media R.H.S. Samarathunaga, Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment Anura Dissanayake, Chairman of National Gem and Jewellery Authority Peshala Jayaratne and a group of representatives from the Gem and Jewellery industry were also present on this occasion.