'Interior Pakistan' exhibition opens: Dastgir assures support to local furniture industry

Federal Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan said on Friday the government would extend all possible assistance to local furniture industry to enhance country's export and improve business environment.
Addressing the inaugural session of capital's first ever national level furniture exhibition "Interior Pakistan" held here at a hotel, he said business community suffered a lot during the last decade due to inadequate government policies, energy crisis and above all due to security issues but the government of PML-N was committed to providing extensive support to business community to achieve targets in national economy.
The inaugural ceremony of the third expo of the Pakistan Furniture Council was extremely well attended by members of the Diplomatic Corps, with more than 30 ambassadors, government officials and stakeholders of the furniture industry.
Engineer Khurram Dastgir congratulated Pakistan Furniture Council on the extensive showcasing of the furniture industry they had achieved without the involvement of the government and expressed his commitment to support future endeavours. He was also immensely appreciative of the various stalls during the tour of the exhibition halls.
The Commerce Minister said the government was focusing on export of traditional goods including furniture, adding Pakistani furniture was durable and also showed Pakistani culture. "Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) will extend marketing and logistic support to introduce Pakistani furniture in international exhibition," he said.
The Minister further stated that incentives would be announced for inclusion of new products in exportable items. Ambassador Rodolfo Martin Saravia, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador of Argentina and Guest of Honour at the event, said, "It has always been my practice and privilege to promote Pakistani industry and products within Pakistan, in my own country and amongst the Diplomatic Corps. The furniture industry in Pakistan has great potential as it can be both a labour intensive and capital intensive sector. Skilled craftsmen can create unique pieces while large scale factories can produce many identical units - in both cases adding to the employment."
He added, "I am delighted to support the Pakistan Furniture Council, a body committed to promoting Pakistani skill and craftsmanship, as well as creating international linkages to encourage trade. Argentina has been host to the FIMAR, Argentina's International Furniture Fair for the past many years and in our experience, a consolidated trade fair such as FIMAR reflects the tremendous growth that the industry has achieved over recent years, not only in products but also in design, technology, innovation and associative integration. It is my hope that Interiors Pakistan will achieve a similar scale and popularity and that the members of the Pakistan Furniture Council will participate in the FIMAR."