Govt help sought in boosting handmade carpet export

LAHORE:Carpet Training Institute (CTI) Chairman Ejazur Rehman has said that handmade carpet industry is a prominent brand that uniquely represents Pakistan globally.

In a meeting with a delegation of manufacturers and exporters here Sunday, he said that the industry is facing unfavourable conditions due to high raw material costs, expensive labour, increased freight charges, inadequate government support, and arbitrary policies of regulatory bodies. He emphasised that if the government reduces tax and provides support in other areas, the industry still has the potential to increase its foreign exchange earnings.

He said that the current handmade carpet export figures demonstrate a substantial decline, attributed to various factors. Despite this, he expressed confidence that with government patronage, the industry retains considerable potential to reclaim its global standing. Furthermore, he urged stakeholders to adopt diversified strategies to revitalise the industry and enhance exports. He appealed to the government to reconsider the changes made to the tax system for exporters in the current year’s Financial Act.

He believed these changes severely impacted the struggling handmade carpet industry, pushing it towards destruction and negatively affecting exports. Ejazur Rehman expressed hope that the govt would treat the tax issues of the handmade carpet industry as a special case and take measures to revive it. He stressed that with govt assistance, the handmade carpet industry can regain its global standing and increase foreign exchange earnings.