ISLAMABAD: Chief Executive Officer Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Kashif Ashfaq Tuesday said Pakistan’s furniture industry had a big potential to dominate global markets with innovative designs and could significantly contribute to exports. However, he said it direly needed a package of incentives and facilitation for boosting exports.

Talking to a delegation of furniture manufacturers, he said unfortunately, the furniture sector remained badly neglected; it needed special attention of the federal and provincial governments for the training of woodworkers on modern lines,” says a press release issued here today.

He said there is an urgent need to explore the international market for boosting our exports as there is a lot of potential in Pakistani products. He said the value of furniture export was very nominal but the beginning had been made, and with aggressive marketing strategy the value of exports could be doubled in a short span. He said if the government extends its support to furniture companies, the volume of export could touch the figure of $ 5 billion for the next five years.

He said the leather industry is also associated with furniture. He assured the furniture producers that they would provide them the world class leather being used in furniture making.

He urged the businessmen to work extensively to promote local industry in Pakistan. “Pakistan is blessed with abundant resources and our people are equipped with the best of skills that can help develop the country on modern lines,” he added.

Mian Kashif Ashfaq said the PFC was committed to supporting Pakistan’s young entrepreneurs associated with the furniture and interior designing sector whose innovative thinking had the potential to unlock great economic prosperity. He said exhibitions provide the younger designers and architects to assess market trends and display their own work alongside that of more established professionals.

He said Interior’s Pakistan was a step towards initiating international trade exhibitions and also to enhance possibility to participate in international exhibitions as a collaborative industry from Pakistan. Mian Kashif has expressed the hope that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the furniture sector would prosper.