Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) chief Irfan Iqbal Sheikh Sunday urged the government and private sector to join hands for raising its forest cover from 5 per cent to 25 per cent to meet the ever-growing needs of the furniture industry in Pakistan.
Talking to Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) CEO Mian Kashif Ashfaq, Irfan Iqbal said currently, furniture and local industries are experiencing serious supply shocks, which are not only impeding their growth but also adversely affecting their international competitiveness.
As the global economy is expected to be more challenging this year in wake of Covid 19, he urged the furniture industry to remain resilient by innovating, adopting technology as well as diversifying export markets to sustain demand in the long run. “We have to overcome challenges to strengthen our market share; we must continue to produce innovative and market-oriented products to meet challenging times,” he added.
Irfan Iqbal said that in the absence of enough supplies of wood, cheaper furniture made of fancy and laminated sheets of chipboard has flooded the local market.
He said wooden furniture, especially made from shisham trees (botanically known as Dalbergia sissoo), is quite expensive, which is why shisham furniture is made for selected buyers only.
