Turkey to share furniture technology with Pakistan

KARACHI: Turkey will share latest technology with Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) to help furniture manufacturers in producing world class modern design furniture to compete in international market by making them cost and quality efficient.

This was revealed by Chief of Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Mian Kashif Ashfaq while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday in connection with forthcoming 8th three-day mega Interiors Pakistan Expo commencing from July 7, at Expo Centre Karachi, says a press release.  He said a leading Turkish 'Inegol Business Association' would set up modern training centers one each in Lahore, Chinot, Gujrat and Peshawar where local woodworkers would get training in modern designing and improvement of products to meet global market demands.

He said, PFC had inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Turkish private sector for promoting furniture industry in Pakistan.  Unfolding the distinguish features of MoU, he said Turkey was interested in enhancing furniture business with PFC, undertaking joint-venture projects either in Turkey or in Pakistan and sharing technology with Pakistan.  He said that Musoot, another leading furniture producer in Turkey, had also agreed to cooperate with PFC for organizing a series of 3-day workshops in Pakistan for practical demonstration to enhance capacity building and improvement of furniture quality.

The PFC chief suggested that a chartered vessel service should be started between Pakistan and Turkey for regular trade of goods.

He also urged for the establishment of a display centre for Pakistani Furniture in Istanbul.

He said many countries have shown interest in Pakistani furniture. They liked our hand-carved designs on furniture with classic and fine finishing and similar designs could be replicated in the Turkish furniture market.

He said Pakistan has potential to export at least one billion dollars handmade wood furniture annually if the government patronized furniture industry and interest free loans on soft terms were provided to small scale manufacturers for boosting export and overcoming their financial constraints. It would also generate plenty of jobs to poor segment of the society.

In reply to a question, he said that PFC had so far successfully conducted seven Interiors Pakistan exhibitions in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi within its own resources.

He said Mian Kashif Ashfaq informed that leading manufacturers would display their products at 8th furniture expo to be started from Friday here, which, he hoped, would attract a large number of investors, buyers and visitors from cross section of the society.

He said Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah would inaugurate the exhibition. Leading businessmen including S.M. Munir, Iftikhar Ali Malik and President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Zubair Tufail would also visit the 3-day exhibition.