LAHORE:Carpet Training Institute (CTI) Chairman Ejazur Rehman Sunday urged the Punjab government
to provide support in the revival of the hand-woven carpet industry besides reviving carpet training and production centers across the province.
Talking to the media after chairing a review meeting here, he said that these centers would provide adequate training to skilled workers associated with this industry and also facilitate the manufacturers.
“The carpet sector had once been among main export sectors of Pakistan but during the last decade, Pakistan’s carpet exports had seen a drastic decline of more than 60 per cent,” he mentioned.
Ejazur Rehman said, it was a matter of great concern that exports of hand-woven carpets had reduced from US $ 500 million to mere US $ 75 million only.
“Pakistan’s representation in international exhibitions is negligible due to which our products are not properly promoted and export orders are not received,” he argued and cited that on the contrary, exporters from other countries, including traditional competitors, were given government-level support to participate in international exhibitions, which they take full advantage of it.
The CTI chairman suggested that if a permanent carpet street was established, the demand for Pakistani carpets in the international market could increase.
Ejazur Rehman said that 80 per cent of the carpet industry was located in Punjab, in the 70s and 80s, more than 80 carpet training and production centers were working in each tehsil headquarters of Punjab under the control of Punjab Small Industries Corporation and there was a demand that the provincial government should restore this model.
He suggested that in order to overcome the shortage of production of carpets, carpet washing, finishing, designing, training institutes, weaving and common facilities centers should be established especially in Lahore and Bahawalpur to provide all facilities under one roof. This move would definitely help in reviving the industry by attracting 0.5 million unemployed people and above all re-increasing the volume of carpet exports, he concluded.