All gold workshops in the Manama suq could be relocated to a single building, it has emerged.

The Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife offered the suggestion amid concerns about health, environment and security issues.

Jewellery workshops in the old part of the suq earlier said their licences were not being renewed by the Manama Municipality, claiming they were told to move to other areas.

It reportedly led to several jewellers relocating to the UAE.

Public commission pollution control section head Jaffar Ahmed Salman said municipal authorities insisted all workshops should move out of the suq in the interests of jewellers' security and the safety of residents.

He also said the commission had suggested municipal authorities make a new building to house all workshops in one place.

'That proposal has still not been implemented,' he told the GDN.

Salman said the commission agreed the workshops should remain close to where jewellers housed their businesses.

'They have been there for the last half a century so it would be realistic to let them stay,' he said.

'However, it is a matter for several departments of the government, including ours, to co-ordinate and resolve their problems.'

Salman said Bahrain's environmental watchdog was 'satisfied' with the way Manama's gold workshops were tackling pollution caused by sulphuric acid fumes they emitted.

He also stated it was up to the Manama Municipality to send them requests for the renewal of gold workshop licences for approval.

'The municipality is acting on ministerial orders to deny permission to gold workshops to function and this has nothing to do with the commission,' said Salman.

These orders prohibit polluting industries to be set up and function in residential areas.

'We are actually satisfied with the way the pollution control measures are being employed by the jewellers since 2001 when we suggested to them how to manage harmful acid fumes,' said Salman.

'Any request that comes to us we shall approve after we are satisfied all norms are being followed.

'There were a lot of concerns in the area in early 2001 as a result of the fumes, but we managed to solve those with a simple contraption that broke the poisonous fumes into salt and water.

'All workshops now have these units installed and we regularly inspect them to see they are functioning well.'

Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Gold and Pearl Jewellery Committee head Mohammed Sajid Shaikh earlier said moving gold workshops out of the suq would spell disaster for the trade, already reeling from the effects of the global recession and Bahrain's political developments.

He said businessmen were now planning to seek a meeting with Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Juma Al Ka'abi to air their grievances.

'We are not sure what and where the problem is. All we want is a satisfactory resolution,' said Shaikh.

He said municipality officials had told them they were only denying permission to new units wanting to set up in the area, but those that were there already would be accommodated.

'We need to get clarification on that with the minister,' he said.

Bahrain's gold industry lost an estimated $1 million (BD378,000) a day when stores were forced to close during unrest between March 13 and 19.

More than 15,000 people are said to be involved in Bahrain's gold and jewellery trade, including around 4,000 goldsmiths.

Approximately half of Bahrain's 600 gold and jewellery shops are said to be located in Manama.

No one from the Manama Municipality or ministry could be reached for comment.-TradeArabia News Service