PR No. 204 PAKISTAN FURNITURE COUNCIL (PFC) HELD “7TH INTERIORS PAKISTAN” MEGA EXHIBITION FROM APRIL 21-23 TULIP ISLAMABAD Islamabad: April 24, 2017

PFC Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq in a statement in press conference said that the essence of this mega furniture exhibition was to promote the furniture and associated products made in Pakistan at local and international level.

He said this mega event attended by members of the diplomatic corps, leading businessmen, stakeholders of the furniture industry and foreign delegations. In this regard delegations from China, Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Denmark, Thailand and, Bangkok also participated.

He said almost 100 brands exhibited at the event. Master Foam was the official sponsor of the event, while fast marketing was the co-sponsor, Master Celeste, Celeste Home fashion, Master offices, Chen One Home, Ashley, Natuzzi, Inter wood, Wood kastle, Decent Furniture, Dolce Vita Home, Diamond foam, Style & Comfort, Profine, and fast marketing were other major exhibitors. Besides this, PFC Chief said more than 70 leading local companies and interior designers displayed their products while as many as 50,000 to 70,000 visitors visited this mega exhibition. Visitors on the lookout for buying furniture enjoyed special discount of up to 50% on different items exhibited at the event.

Mian Kashif Ashfaq said that this exhibition provided the younger designers and architects to see the market trends and displayed their own work alongside that of more established professionals.“PFC continued its work to develop a Pakistani presence in more countries and acted as the focal point for Pakistani furniture designers and manufacturers to enter international market,” he added.

Pakistan’s wood industry is well developed and captured 95% of the country’s total market for furniture. The country has more than 700 units of wooden furniture with Chiniot, alone meets 80% of furniture demand in the country, Gujarat, with world-class furniture, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi being important centers, he added.

PFC and ChenOne Chief Executive said Pakistan imported furniture worth of Rs 4.22 billion in 2015-16, while export worth Rs 0.6 billion PKR. Furthermore, import of furniture items could create a viable threat of unemployment in local furniture industry. The furniture industry in Pakistan has great potential as it can be both a labor intensive and capital intensive sector. Skilled craftsmen can create unique pieces while large scale factories can produce many identical units – in both cases adding to the employment”, he said.

Appreciating the efforts of Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan for promoting trade activities in Pakistan, Mian Kashif Ashfaq said the government had earlier promised to extend all possible assistance to local furniture industry to enhance country’s export and improve business environment. He said that local furniture industry had a great potential and there was only a need of the patronization of the government and if furniture sector would be given a status of an industry, he was optimistic that it would bring multiple socio-economic benefits. He further demanded that the government must provide subsidies for growth of furniture sector especially in the preliminary stages besides removing hurdles in the promotion of furniture sector in Pakistan.

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