Business community engaged with musical instruments industry seeks government special attention and support for the modernisation and up-gradation of the industry and demanded special incentives and concessions for enhancing export of musical instruments. The Musical Instruments industry has great potential and able to increase the export volume if government announced the special incentives and concessions for the industry.
More than hundred year old musical instrument industry of Sialkot was totally ignored by the concerned authorities as a result of which the industry was not modernised and the business community engaged with the industry was still using the conventional manufacturing techniques in this modern era.
The industry was producing various musical instruments without government support and with help of stereotyped techniques and exporting to United States of America and European countries. The local musical instruments manufacturers were producing Western type of musical instruments having become much popular in the world. The obtaining of modern technology has become more imperative at this juncture for producing quality musical instruments in accordance with the changing global trends and to enhance the exports as well as to stay in international market.
Some leading manufacturers and exporters of musical instruments when contacted to ascertain the causes of decline in export said that it was due to the hard-hitting competition in international market. Despite of lack of modern technology and techniques the local industry was competing with the competitors in the global market and considerably contributing to the national exchequer.
The manufacturers were of the opinion that government should take special steps for obtaining modern "Technology" for tracking the industry on modern production lines.
The attaining of cheap technology has become more imperative at this juncture to cope with the global requirements and demands easily because the trend of the musical instruments has totally been changed.
The government should allow duty-free import of raw material like Ebony wood, Brass and copper rod used in manufacturing of musical instruments they demanded. It may be mentioned that the Ebony-wood was being imported from Africa, Kenya and Tanzania at very high cost with imported duty.