Govt urged to address key issues of furniture industry

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: President of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Engr Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz has urged the government to take pragmatic steps to resolve key issues of furniture industry so that would help to give boost exports of furniture products.

SCCI president said Pakistan generally, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particularly, had huge potential to promote trade and exports of furniture products and government should address key issues of this industry for its better growth.

He was addressing an oath taking ceremony of All Pakistan Furniture Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter here on Thursday.

SCCI Senior vice president, Shahid Hussain, Vice President, Abdul Jalil Jan, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, provincial chief, Rashid Aman, All Pakistan Furniture Association Central Chairman Zahid Hussain Khan, President Taj Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, the association provincial chairman, Ejaz Ali Shah, furniture manufacturers and allied industry people were present during the ceremony.

Maqsood Pervaiz said KP has diverse potentials regarding furniture, especially cottage industry.

However, he said due to apathetic attitude of previous governments and unfavorable conditions in the past, the businessmen attached with the furniture industry are facing severe hardships, which had also major cause for declining in exports of furniture products.

He demanded of the government to take prompt measures to resolve issues of furniture manufactures on priority basis, besides, immense potentials in marble, honey, gems and jewelry, hydel power generation, and other natural resources, a great potential in KP furniture industry is exited, which need to exploit in efficient manner that would help in promoting exports of furniture items.

Approximately 600 furniture small and large units were existed in Peshawar University road along with furniture factories in other parts of KP, SCCI chief informed.

He noted that the furniture industry had played pivotal role in the country exports.

However, he lamented that the former successive governments didn’t do much to give boost this important industry, due to which it is declining rapidly.

Maqsood Pervaiz urged the federal and provincial governments to announce special incentives and grant for furniture industry as well as take proactive steps to resolve key issues this important industry. He also demanded of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) to issue matching grant to furniture industry on priority basis.

All Pakistan Furniture Association Central Chairman Zahid Hussain Khan, President Taj Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, the association provincial chairman, Ejaz Ali Shah, Smeda chief Rashid Aman, Mujeebur Rehamn also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, the SCCI president took oath from newly-elected office bearers of the All Pakistan Furniture Association KP Chapter.