‘Carpet, leather sectors can become major exporters’

LCCI president urges govt to provide environment conducive to export-oriented industries

LAHORE:

Carpet and leather sectors can become major exporters through government’sfacilitation, said Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Mian Tariq Misbah.

Speaking to a delega- tion of Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) led by Latif Malik on Saturday, he urged the government to provide environment conducive especially to the export oriented industries.

“Special attention should be given to the businesses which earn the much needed foreign exchange for Pakistan,” he said.

“The cost of doing business should be reduced and ease of doing business should be improved.”

Emphasising on the need for exhibitions, Misbah was of the view that they provide a huge opportunity to enhance exports. He further urged Pakistani businessmen to start exploring international markets by organising exhibitions for export products. He stressed that the export development fund should be utilised to increase exports.

Speaking on the occasion, LCCI Senior Vice President Nasir Hameed Khan said that carpet industry has the manufacturing capacity and potential to export. “It can also enhance its capacity fur- ther to increase its share in international carpet export,” he said.

The PCMEA delegates said that biggest competitor of carpet industry is India. “We should conduct re- search and prepare a report on Indian policies and the facilities it provides to its carpet exporters,” they said.

“This way, we can ask and motivate our government to provide us with same facili- ties to counter Indian influ- ence and increase our share of exports in the interna- tional market.”

According to them, the big- gest issue impacting the car- pet industry was shipment.

The delegates added that their bookings were being cancelled while airlines were not available for freight hence they requested the government to start dedicated freight flights.