*ISLAMABAD:* The Ministry of Planning and Development has started a newinitiative – Cluster Development Based Mineral Transformation Plan – toimprove productivity in the mineral sector and enhance exports.
The initiative, costing Rs62.21 million has been launched under Vision 2025and would increase value addition and create jobs in the mineral sector.
Nature has bestowed Pakistan with enormous and diversified world-classmineral resources, coal, copper, gold, building stones, industrial rawmaterials, gemstones, etc. Both public and private sectors are working toexploration and development.
As per Annual Development Plan (ADP) 2018-19, the mines and mineralcontribution towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was 0.09 percent in 2017-18 while Vision 2025 and 12th Five Year Plan envisagefundamental improvements for mineral sector.
Moreover, Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) has designed a number ofannual field programmes and projects likely minerals investigation,geological mapping, geophysical exploration, exploration and evaluation ofcoal, geochemical exploration of precious metals, geo-environmental andgroundwater studies, exploration of iron ore, geohazard assessment andgeotechnical projects, geochemical analysis and medical geology for nextyear.
An area of about 12800 sq. km is planned to be geologically mapped indifferent parts of the country. Around 200 samples will be taken in thistime period while conducting this survey and geochemical analysis will becarried out. Even though the operational funds provided in the regularbudget are short to meet the project expenses, GSP aims to achievetechnical targets in the upcoming financial year within the availableresources.
The efforts will be concentrated towards mineral exploration and Geologicalmapping projects including iron ore, coal, copper and gold in areas ofPunjab and Balochistan province, while Lead-Zinc-Barite investigations willbe carried out in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, some regions of Punjab such as Kasur,Faisalabad and different regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) some ofthe environmental, geotechnical studies, urban and hydro-geological studieswill be carried out.
A total of four ongoing development projects will be implemented in thefiscal year 2018-19 accompanied by six newly proposed development projectssubject to their approval from competent forums.
In newly proposed development projects GSP intends not only to explore themineral and coal reserves of the country but has also proposed up-gradationof its laboratories as well as its accommodation facilities in a bid toenhance its geochemical analytical capabilities, efficiency and workoutputs of its workers.
The salient features of the Vision for the mineral sector are strengtheninginstitutions, removing infrastructure bottlenecks, promoting public-privatepartnership, encouraging investment, developing skills and building aknowledge economy, easing of doing business and increasing labour.
Regarding performance of the sector during the current year, the Planrevealed that Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) allocation wasRs424.799 million for two development projects – Acquisition of FourDrilling Rigs for Geological Survey of Pakistan, and Exploration andEvaluation of Metallic Minerals, in Uthal and Bela Areas, District Lasbela,Balochistan. – APP