BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, August 4. The Ministry of Economy of Kyrgyzstan has submitted a draft for public discussion proposing a six-month temporary ban on the export of unprocessed or roughly processed limestone-shell stone outside the Eurasian Economic Union customs territory, Trend reports.
The measure aims to protect the unique Jalpak-Tash limestone deposit in the Osh region, the only source of this natural stone in the country, and to ensure sufficient raw material supply for about 97 local companies involved in mining and processing.
Recent years saw high exports of this raw limestone, leading to shortages for domestic stone processors producing construction and decorative materials. The draft ban targets limestone blocks and slabs in rectangular or square shapes but does not restrict the export of finished stone products.
The government anticipates that this provisional moratorium will facilitate the optimization of sustainable resource utilization and bolster the indigenous stone-processing sector, all while mitigating any substantial socio-economic repercussions.
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