Facets Sri Lanka premiere edition gem and jewellery show opens

• Minister Pathirana assures support to industry to achieve $ 1 b in exports
• Ceylon sapphire at heart of promotion and marketing of exhibition
• Exhibition underscores Sri Lanka being open and ready for business

One of the most sought-after international gem and jewellery shows on the global procurement and sourcing calendar, the three-day Facets Sri Lanka premiere edition was inaugurated on Saturday by Industries and Plantations Minister Ramesh Pathirana at the Cinnamon Grand.

Hosted by Cinnamon Grand and organised by the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA), Facets Sri Lanka also signals that the island-country is ready and open for business. This was well emphasised with buyers from multiple countries visiting the exhibition and it was the mesmerising Ceylon sapphire that took centre stage with its spectacular worldwide fame spread over 2,500 years.

Chief Guest Minister Pathirana detailed the Government’s plans for the gem and jewellery industry, saying: “We have already established that the industry will aim towards $ 1 billion in exports in 2023 and we will facilitate value addition of our gems by enabling all technology and equipment related to value addition to be duty free. A committee will also be appointed to facilitate a pension plan for gem miners and other related occupations.”

In his welcome address, SLGJA Chairman Ajward Deen stated that the Government of Sri Lanka must recognise the industry as a key forex earner. “The Government must be a facilitator towards the future continuance of this industry which most often is plagued by numerous and inefficient bureaucratic challenges which hinders its growth.

“The incentives that have been eliminated recently should be reconsidered. The public-private sector partnership which is very much at the heart of this year’s exhibition, stands as testimony to a collaborative partnership which will benefit not just the industry, but the entire nation.”

Facets Sri Lanka Chairman Altaf Iqbal emphasised two points about the exhibition; the fact that the exhibition signals to the world that Sri Lanka is ready and open for business and it being the first to example a solid and working public-private partnership.

“This is probably one of the rare instances where we see the Government being the facilitator and the private sector being the driver, a paradigm that can be cascaded to other industries as well.” He also appreciated the buyers who were in Sri Lanka saying: “This industry has been built for centuries by discerning buyers who don’t compromise on quality. It is your return to this island that will enable our country to get back on track giving us much needed foreign exchange.”

Facets concludes today.

The SLGJA is the apex private sector organisation representing the interests of all industry sub-sectors from mining through manufacturing, wholesale and retail. It organises Facets Sri Lanka in partnership with the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board.

FACETS Sri Lanka premiere edition inaugurated by Industries and Plantations Minister Ramesh Pathirana with invitees – Pix by Ruwan Walpola