Govt plans to set up Sector Development Company: Tareen
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Industries , Production and Special Initiatives, Jehangir Khan Tareen said on Monday that government is contemplating on a plan to establish a Sector Development Company to boost furniture industry and its exports. He stated this while presiding over a meeting of Furniture Strategy Working Group here at the Ministry of Industries this afternoon.
Secretary Industries Shahab Khawaja, all the stakeholders of the furniture industry including manufactures , representatives of forest departments of Punjab and N.W.F.P and experts attended the meeting. Farooq A Malik President Interwood Mobel (Pvt) Ltd gave the minister and participants of the meeting a comprehensive briefing about the potentials of furniture industry in Pakistan.
Tareen appreciated the presentation and assured the Furniture Strategy Working Group that government would consider their proposals and set up a Sector Development Company to promote the furniture sector and enhance its share in the international market for the benefit of the country.
The Minister highlighted the steps taken by the government for the promotion of different sectors by encouraging new technologies and expertise for the socio economic development of the country.
Tareen urged the Furniture Strategy Group to bring their priority-wise final proposals in the first week of January next for the establishment of a sector Development Company for the development of furniture sector in the country. He also asked them to focus on rural population where a number of artisans are producing quality furniture so that they could benefit from the government facilities and initiatives in the sector.
The Minister said Pakistan offers opportunities for the development of furniture industry and quality furniture are being produced at Chinyot, Gujrat, Peshawar and Karachi. Farooq A Malik in his presentation said that Pakistan has the potential to export US $ 1 billion in the international markets and called for making proper strategy to achieve this objective.
He said that Pakistan furniture industry can be developed by transforming it from cottage industry to a modern industry through training, upgrading supplies and inputs (kiln dried wood, improved saw mills , hardware, polishing materials/lacquers and packing and bringing more women into the value chain of the industry.