Italian furniture experts to impart modern techniques to local artisans

LAHORE: Italian furniture experts will visit Pakistan soon to impart modern techniques to local artisans engaged in furniture industry to meet the challenges of the international markets.

Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) chief executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq on Wednesday said that the council is collaborating with the Italian companies of international repute for proper advanced technical training to local workers and initially 500 workers from across the country will be trained in the short duration training programme in different batches.

The Italian experts will also conduct a one-day workshop in Lahore, Peshawar, Chinnot, Gujrat, Faisalabad and Karachi for briefing the manufacturers about the latest furniture designs popular in global furniture industry, besides highlighting the importance of the application of modern techniques in the furniture industry.

To increase the country’s furniture exports, the manufacturers need to be offered tax and credit package of incentives for acquiring new technologies and to grow big enough to sustain global competition from their rivals in the international market, he added.

Ashfaq said that the expensive imported raw materials and energy costs are one of the major hurdles for furniture manufacturers to compete with the much cheaper imports from China and India. He urged the government to establish greater liaison with this sector to fully understand the market conditions and its requirements to protect, develop and promote on sound footings.

The government should also provide more visible support to the furniture business for exhibiting and travelling to trade shows and promoting Pakistani exports as a success globally, he added. The Pakistan furniture industry has the potential to be a substantial one at multiple levels, as it can contribute significantly to the GDP and employ numerous people with varying skills in specialist furniture.

He said, “We believe it could generate at least $10 billion in exports in a decade, if the requisite processes get streamlined,” adding that the main issue is the dearth of middle management and nearly no proper institutions to train carpenters who are working in family oriented setups in different clusters.