Industry Minister Sunil Handunnetti revealed in Parliament that the National Gem and Jewellery Authority has not used any of the 15,652 kg of rough gems imported into Sri Lanka.
The Minister said that a total of 46,816 kg of rough gems under HS code 7103.10 were imported between 2022 and 2024. Officials from the National Gem and Jewellery Authority visited the manufacturers who imported these gems and found that 29,500 kg of the stock consisted of rough and granitic gemstones of low commercial value.
From this stock, 1,664 kg of cut and polished gems have been exported, while 8,260 kg were identified as unable to be processed for added value. Additionally, 7,392 kg of gems were wasted and remain unprocessed.
Minister Handunnetti presented this data on October 24 in response to a question from Member of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake.
He further highlighted the need for a proper methodology to ensure that gems imported for re-export are effectively processed and exported. The Minister also said that a joint program is being developed by the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and Sri Lanka Customs to address this issue.
