Stocks of ‘Clear Quartz’ is being illegally exported along with Quartz, according to a finding revealed during an inquiry conducted by the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).
This was disclosed during a meeting of the COPE held under the chairmanship of Parliamentarian Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera in Parliament.
During the meeting extended attention was drawn to the issue of Quartz exports.
It was discussed that ‘Clear Quartz’ is being illegally exported along with Quartz, and that certain insiders within the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau appear to be supporting it.
The COPE pointed out that a mechanism should be established to hand over the export of Clear Quartz to the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and to allow only other Quartz to be legally exported.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the government has lost a large sum in revenue owing to the failure of the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau to properly charge the state royalty after issuing a mining license.
During the COPE’s inquiry into the Auditor General’s reports for the years 2022 and 2023 of the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau, a number of malpractices has been revealed, according to a statement issued by the Department of Communication of Parliament.
