PM Imran Khan’s visit to boost Pakistan-Turkey trade volume in furniture sector : Mian Kashif Ashfaq

January 04, 2018: Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq welcoming the statement of Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking bilateral trade between Pakistan and Turkey to new heights said great potential exists for increasing trade and investment between them and either sides need to devise mechanisms for boosting economic cooperation for mutual benefit of the people of both the countries.

In a press statement issued Friday, PFC Chief said Pakistan and Turkey share identical views on regional and international issues and there is huge scope to further expand bilateral ties between the two sides.

He pinned high hopes on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tour to Turkey and emphasized that new avenues of investment should be explored especially in furniture sector as Pak handmade fabulous furniture is in great demands in international markets.

He further said Turkey can provide huge opportunities to Pakistani exporters to market their products including handmade furniture in European markets in collaboration with Turkish companies. Regarding furniture, he said that Turkish firms are manufacturing costly and high quality machine-made furniture for the European consumers.

He said in Pakistan most of the furniture is hand-made but still it is cheap and could be marketed in EU countries at a high price.

In this connection, Turkish firms could also play a major role in facilitating Pakistani manufacturers to have direct access to the potential customers. He said that Pakistan-Turkey relationship is unparalleled in inter-state relations. He said that the special ties have flourished due to successive generations of leaders in the two countries.

Mian Kashif accentuated that the establishment of joint ventures with Turkey for the provision of required machinery can encourage the quality of Pakistan’s furniture products and brings them at par with international standard. “Therefore, there is a dire need to transform our furniture business from cottage or small scale to highly innovative industry, for which training of skilled labour and high-end supplies are required”, he added.

He also said that the trade volume should be increased as much as possible for both countries' benefit. For this, he emphasized the importance of an upcoming free trade deal which is in the making now, saying ''Once the free trade deal enters into force, the bilateral trade volume and investments will boom.''

He said the involvement of Turkish enterprises, both in terms of technical and financial assistance in several development projects is reflective of our cordial relations based on mutual trust and sincerity and Turkish furniture sector is willing to enhance its trading ties with Pakistan and there are many areas which can be explored with mutual enterprises in furniture sector in Pakistan.

(APP)