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 added that however, the industry is facing unfavorable conditions due to high raw material costs, expensive labor, increased freight charges, inadequate government support, and arbitrary policies of regulatory bodies.
He emphasized that if the government reduces tax and provides support in other areas, the industry still has the potential to increase its foreign exchange earnings.
Ejazur Rehman 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 revitalize the industry and enhance expor
ts. He has appealed to the government to reconsider the changes made to the tax system for exporters in the current financial year’s Financial Act. He believes these changes have severely impacted the struggling handmade carpet industry, pushing it towards destruction and negatively affecting exports.
Ejazur Rehman expressed hope that the government will treat the tax issues of the handmade carpet industry as a special case and take measures to revive it.
He emphasized that with government assistance, the handmade carpet industry can regain its global standing and increase foreign exchange earnings. However, without support, the industry’s survival is at risk.
The delegation included Saeed Khan, Qamar Zia, Saad ur Rehman, Faisal Saeed Khan, Mahmood Ahmed, Bilal Ahmed Butt, Ahmed Irfan, Muhammad Jaffer Khalid, Sheikh Aamir Khalid, Usman Rashid, Ali Ahmed, and several other prominent industry representatives.