LAHORE: Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PCMEA) office-bearers and Federal Textile Secretary Hassan Iqbal discussed issues being faced by the carpet industry, in a meeting here on Monday.
During the meeting, PCMEA Chairman Usman Ghani, Senior Vice Chairman Riaz Ahmed highlighted their major issues including six per cent duty drawback notification, issued by the Ministry of Textile, and matters pertaining to holding of Pakistan Hand-knotted Carpet Exhibition 2017 at Lahore, sponsorship of PCMEA delegation to China, release of funds for promotion of hand-knotted carpets and inclusion of handmade carpets in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Turkey and China.Federal Textile Secretary Hassan Iqbal promised that the PCMEA suggestions for six per cent duty drawback notification would be thoroughly checked and they would get a positive feedback by the ministry. As far as Pakistan Hand-knotted carpets exhibition 2017, release of funds within time are concerned, he added, these would also be taken up for discussion on priority.
About the issue of sending the PCMEA delegation to China, which had been refused by the Trade Development Authority Pakistan(TDAP), he would also look into the matter. He said he would try to offer an alternative so that PCMEA’s participation in the Domotex Shanghai 2017 was not suspended.
About release of fund for promotion of hand-knotted carpets, he said that he would make all-out efforts to help out the carpet industry very soon. He assured the house that he would try his level best to include the handmade carpets in the proposed list of FTA with Turkey and China.
Hassan Iqbal also visited the Carpet Training Institute and was briefed by the CTI Chairman M Saeed Khan.
