In one of the first steps, the newly elected government will go for a bailout package to improve foreign currency reserves, says Tareen.
PHOTO:FILE
Talking to Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq on Monday, Tareen said, “In one of the first steps, the newly elected government will go for a bailout package to improve foreign currency reserves.”
After addressing the issue, the government would switch to restoring competitiveness of the economy that needed 20 to 25 years to progress and required improvement in skills of the workforce and educating the people, he said.
PTI should improve tax policy to encourage the setting up of new industrial units in the country, he said and added existing board of directors of all autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies would be restructured by hiring world-class technocrats in an effort to produce satisfactory results.
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Talking about promotion of the furniture sector, Tareen said, “Pakistan is blessed with abundant resources and our people are equipped with skills that can help develop the country on modern lines.”
He emphasised that skilled craftsmen could create unique pieces while large-scale factories could produce many identical units - in both cases adding to the employment.
“I am delighted to support the Pakistan Furniture Council, a body committed to promoting Pakistani skills and craftsmanship as well as creating international linkages to encourage trade,” he remarked.
The PTI leader said their government would appoint honest, hardworking and very well-experienced people in government, semi-government and autonomous departments to revive the country’s economy.
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It would revamp the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to push the domestic industry, besides making it possible that all funds were utilised to promote Pakistan’s handmade world-class furniture in international markets.
The PFC chief, while congratulating Tareen for PTI’s victory in general elections, voiced optimism that the incoming government would utilise all available resources to promote the furniture sector of Pakistan. “This sector was badly neglected by previous governments,” he said.
“We need policies to protect the furniture sector so that we can grow in the right direction. We currently cannot compete with the Chinese market because of its prices, which is largely due to availability of skilled labour.”
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China, for instance, has over 1,000 technical schools and enrolls at least 11 million people with support of the government to ensure they design such programmes that support the domestic industry.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2018.
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