Gem Dealers' Association hails Minister's decision

The Association of the Gem and Jewellery Exchange, World Trade Centre hailed the decision of Minister Rohitha Bogollagama to entrust the setting up of the International Gem Testing Laboratory to the National Gem and Jewellery Authority.

The Minister's interest and prompt action in this regard is considered as a fulfilment of a long felt requirement of the gem and jewellery industry in Sri Lanka.

The Association notes with regret the several lapses and the misdeeds associated with this project by the relevant authorities previously, apparently due to misguiding by interested parties. Due to these falsehoods the fund has already lost over 70,000 US $ for which no one has so far accepted responsibility. The Minister has for the first time evaluated all aspects concerning the issue in a national interest and taken the right decision.

Over 700 exporters in the country, who made the voluntary contributions from their export proceeds towards a special fund created to finance the lab project for Sri Lanka, will endorse this step as a nationally important milestone for the industry and a great facilitation to the exporters.

'According to internationally accepted norms and standards, a lab has to be governed and controlled by an independent authority or body for recognition of its findings and declarations. If a lab is to be run by a privately driven group or body the reports and findings of such a lab would be good enough to those who run it.

For an end buyer the recognition of the findings will be based on to what extent the lab issuing the report is independent from external influence.

The National Gem and Jewellery Authority being the Government Institution, set up for the development of the Industry will therefore be the best institution to maintain this image of independence', a press release said.

Irrespective of all other shortcomings at the National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA), which the trade, is confident the Minister will take remedial measures in due course, the certification process of the NGJA has hitherto remained unchallenged and the international trade is well aware of this fact.

The Minister's move therefore will receive international acclamation from the trade as well as from the other leading international gem laboratories run independently to service the industry, it said.