Cabinet approves integration of Gem and Jewellery Research Institute with NGJA

Thursday, 30 July 2026 05:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Cabinet of Ministers earlier this week approved a proposal to establish the Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute as the Research and Training Division of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA), paving the way for a major institutional reform aimed at strengthening the country’s gem and jewellery sector.

The proposal, submitted by Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunneththi, also authorises the necessary legal steps under the provisions of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority Act, No. 50 of 1993 to formalise the integration.

The move will proceed with the legal and administrative measures necessary to integrate the Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute into the NGJA as its dedicated Research and Training Division, with the objective of improving institutional efficiency, eliminating duplication, and ensuring a more coordinated approach to the development of the gem and jewellery industry.

The NGJA was established under the National Gem and Jewellery Authority Act, No. 50 of 1993, while the Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute was set up in 1995 to conduct research and provide training for the industry in accordance with the Act.

Although both institutions have played important roles in the development of the gem and jewellery industry, the Government noted that their parallel operations have resulted in duplication of resources and policy inconsistencies due to the absence of a unified operational framework.

To address these issues, the Cabinet granted policy approval on 17 March 2025 to merge the two institutions, based on recommendations made by the committee of officials appointed to review non-commercial State institutions.

“The committee operates under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the Prime Minister,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing on Tuesday.

Following the policy decision, the Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry Secretary appointed an official committee to recommend the structural reforms required to implement the merger.