Pakistani
Furniture Sector
Introduction
The furniture business is a sub set of the wood working
business. Furniture dominates the wood working sector being 3% of the total.
The sector is dominated by a large number of small organizations producing
styled furniture 1.5% of the total wood working sector whereas the modern
furniture comprises 45% of the wood working sector. 81% establishments have
less than 10 employees, 14.4% have 10-25 employee where as 4.5% have 25+
employees.
Composition
The sector can be divided in three parts:
partially mechanized with two or less than two machines and mainly manual work,
products are generally low quality ; semi-mechanized units with four to six
machines and partly manual work ,, products are generally of a better quality
than the first group ; and mechanized unit
with ten or more machines , products are generally of relatively good quality . Less than 5% units
are engaged in export activities. About 6.5% units are Members of the Chambers
of Industries and about 11% are members of associations. 58% companies are sole
proprietorships, 42% partnerships and 4.8% are limited companies. Furniture is made by hundreds of small-scale enterprises in
Pakistan. Traditionally, furniture manufacture was considered under the village
carpentry sub-sector. Now, however, new modern furniture factories have been
established by the private sector in Gujarat, Jhang and Peshawar. Nearly all
wood used for furniture making is shisham (Dalbergia sissoo, 82
percent), with small quantities of deodar (Cedrus deodara), poplar (Populus
deltoids), mulberry (Morus alba) and other species. The furniture
makers themselves saw most wood. An FSMP survey estimated urban consumption of
wood for furniture at 5.9 m3 per 1000 population.
According to the World Trade Organization's statistics, the furniture industry in
Pakistan has been expanding. Many new furniture companies are now joining the
furniture industry. Pakistani handmade furniture is in high demand by high-end
customers. Pakistani furniture manufacturers have expertise in this area, due
to the type of wood used namely 'sheesham' (rosewood) which adds to this
furniture's demand. The leading wood-furniture-making areas of Pakistan are Chiniot, Gujrat, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi. Workshops
producing export quality furniture are located manly at Chiniot, Gujrat, Peshawar, Lahore and
Karachi. The furniture market is divided into home use, contract markets,
supplying to hotels and res
Wood is undoubtedly the main material in Pakistan’s exports. But the country
also produces some metal (wrought iron rod, steel), upholstered furniture for
offices and special medical furniture. Foams are also used for cushioning in
upholstered chairs and seating. As mainly solid wood of hardwood species like
Sheesham (or Indian rosewood), walnut, oak and similar is used, the furniture
is normally quite heavy in weight. restaurants, furniture for
offices and for public spaces.
Market Conditions
Presently the furniture industry is focused more on the domestic
market which is expanding very fast on the back of growing consumer spending
and a booming housing and construction sector, along with a huge jump in
remittances sent by the Pakistanis working abroad in the recent years The
industry isn’t prepared to handle large export order it does not have the
capacity or backup. Exports will follow mass production facilities are created
beside the question of boosting exports did not arise without moving into
cheaper, modern furniture production. The industry is presently stuck with
Chinioti style traditional furniture.
There is need of moving away
from Shisham into other materials or find an alternate wood. Pakistan is losing whatever small export market
we had with the disappearance of our only solid wood resource
The traditional and potential clients of furniture are:
households, offices’ government institutions; and public institutions. These
groups generally tend to use modern furniture; there are very few units who can
supply standardized modern furniture. These units manage sales themselves,
about 78% of units do so, and 14% sell through retailers whilst 7% subcontract.
The product mix is: household furniture 80% ; office furniture 15% ; and furniture
for factories 5% .
Existence
of international brands
Existence
of International Brands has made the competition very challenging. Pakistan
will not be competitive in mass furniture segments against furniture giants
like China. Authenticity and mastering of raw materials should be made the
cornerstones for the competitiveness of “niche” or “ethnic” furniture at the
high-end of the market. High perceived value for price, timely deliveries and
proper after-sales service are needed for keeping Pakistani furniture a winner.
Quality assurance must be improved and Pakistani furniture brands strengthened.
The
industry is showing an increasing awareness of its limits and works out a
broader vision to reinvent its strength in global furnishing trade. While the
potential gains tend to be most attractive to the leaders of the industry, a
sustained growth requires balanced development efforts across the supply chain.
Problems
faced by the furniture industry of Pakistan
Domestic furniture industry is suffering
because furniture exports to Pakistan from some other countries have increased,
whereas, the high cost of furniture-making business is increasing problems for
the local furniture manufacturers. The prices of raw materials which include
timber, color paints, chipboard, polish materials, and foams have increased
manifold. Due to unchecked deforestation, timber production of the country is
also suffering.
Wood furniture industry of Pakistan is
categorized as being small because old obsolete machinery is used in this
industry, which is the reason for higher cost and low output. Traditional wood
furniture in Pakistan is heavy and bulky. Pakistani furniture industry needs to
go to light-weight and moveable furniture to be exported to the world market
where demand is high to meet the needs of offices, shopping malls, buildings
and shopping plazas.
Pakistan’s furniture industry remains an
essentially fragmented, traditional cottage operation — with a negligible
presence in the $250bn world trade — because of supply chain obstacles:
obsolete technology, unskilled workers, unavailability of cheaper raw
materials, shortage of furniture designers, vanishing traditional Shisham
(Indian Rosewood) resource, etc.
The government’s failure to hold the manufacturers’ hand and
provide them access to credit for upgrading technology and new raw materials —
used for mass production for export markets, train labour, help find markets
for products, and prevent the influx of cheaper Chinese furniture in the
domestic market, isn’t helping the industry either.
The government doesn’t even
recognize furniture-making as an industry,” lamented Kashif Ashfaq, chairman of
the Pakistan Furniture Council, a non-profit private platform created by
several major furniture makers by pooling small amounts of their money to
promote Pakistani furniture through the organization of exhibitions and road
shows at home and abroad.
Many such manufacturers however complain of rising cost of doing
business owing to high price of electricity, low labor productivity and use of
costly imported and local solid wood and alternate raw materials. This makes
products expensive and uncompetitive against imported Chinese furniture in the
local market.“If we are able to protect our local market against cheaper
imports and encourage our local industry, we can create a supply chain required
to boost our overseas sales at a later point,” argued Humanyun.
The problems faced by the sector are: too many sub standard units
without the needed qualifications and experience of the market; low quality of products;
non availability if standards; uneven quality between items of the same batch;
delivery time exceeds the agreed time; goods delivered do not conform to agreed
samples.
Technological
Factors
Productivity of the units is low and not up to International
standards Traditional technology comprises about 50% technology used, whilst
30% technology is upgraded technology and 20% adopted technology. The furniture
industry can be grouped as : traditional carved furniture made from solid
shesham or walnut wood , in most cases
hand carving is carried out with brass or ivory inlay ; contemporary furniture
made from solid wood ; and panel type furniture and cushion works .Seasoning requires considerable investment;
therefore the support institutions listed elsewhere provide this facility.
Furniture Industry technology related problems are : low level of technology ; low mechanization ; lack of latest technology
; small and traditional product range ; low quality of product ; lack of
testing facilities ; non availability of standards ; and energy prices and
availability
Employment Status
The self owned small units employ about 8 people, the partnerships
employ about 20 people and the larger limited companies employ on average about
30 people. Employs are temporary who are paid daily or monthly wages. Issues
related to man power are : low labor productivity ; non availability of trained
technical staff ; non availability of training institutions ; short planning
horizon of planners ; lack of real incentives; lack of workshop organization.
Material and
Components
Issues related to materials and components are: conformity of
quality and type of material with requirements; frequent price changes; terms
of payment; availability at time of requirement; and the habit of producing log
sleepers has to be eradicated as it has very high wastage .
FAO estimates that Pakistan has 4.2 million ha of
forest and planted trees, which equates to 4.8 percent of the total land area.
Forty percent of the forest area comprises coniferous and scrub forest in the
northern hills and mountains this compares unfavorably with many countries,
India has 17.4%, Myanmar has 57.5% , Malaysia has 63% and Germany has 23%. The
small forested area translates into restricted supply of wood and products used
to manufacture furniture. More substituted materials like: plywood; block board;
hardboard; chipboard etc, have to be introduced by the furniture industry.
Pakistan’s furniture has been fairly
devoted to solid wood composition, and is therefore heavily dependent on native
sheesham wood (rosewood). Despite being a valuable species, sheesham resource
has not been sustained in the country. Industry claims widespread exports of
unprocessed logs and sawn timber to the Gulf countries, and clandestine trade
by opportunistic players in official positions. Inadequate measures have been
taken by forest authorities to curb illegal logging and trade, and replenish
the timber with proper silvi culture and forest management. Scarcity of
sheesham and other local hardwoods is the most serious threat to the Pakistan’s
traditional wooden furniture industry.
The wooden furniture manufacturing industry Gujrat is
famous for quality furniture manufacturing of solid wood. The basic raw
material used for this type of furniture is Sheesham wood. Besides this, Medium
Density Fiber (MDF) is also used in furniture manufacturing.
Wood sources include forest department, irrigation
department (for trees along canals), high ways department (for trees along
roads & High ways) etc. All these departments cut the trees and then
auction wood in the form of logs on regular basis. There are certain other
sources of the wood one of which is coming from the Azad Kashmir and Northern
Areas. With the passage of time the supply of wood is decreasing because of
shortage of the forests as well as certain diseases of the tree. According to
the Forest Department, the forests cover only 4% area of Pakistan, which is
quite low, compared to the desired level of 20-25%. Sheesham wood is mostly
used in furniture manufacturing, however other kinds like Keekar (Acacia),
Walnut, Diar, Pine etc. are also used but in lesser quantities or on special orders.
Kinds
/ Types of Woods:
Sheesham wood which is basic raw material is short in
supply to fulfill the local market requirement. This shortage has caused a
price hike. There is no schedule rate of wood in the market.
Following different types are available;
·
Sheesham
·
Deyodar
·
Popular
·
Pertal
·
Chilgoza
The woods that are fashioned into furniture fall into
following three categories:
·
Hardwoods
·
Softwoods
·
Composites
There are sixteen particle board plants
in the country using wood or bagasse. Of the eleven plants using wood, six are
in Sindh, four in Punjab and one in NWFP. The preferred species for particle
board are mango (60 percent) and poplar (30 percent) and although plants are
not limited by wood supply, mango wood availability is seasonal and spasmodic.
Although the construction industry has
begun to use particle board, the bulk is used by large furniture makers. It has
yet to catch on with smaller manufacturers and thus, the potential for
replacing solid wood in the furniture industry has yet to be fully realised.
Due to limited current demand and manufacturers apprehensions about future
demand, plants currently operate at an average of only 48 percent capacity
although most have sufficient wood supply.
Fiberboard
There are five fiberboard plants in
Pakistan, four using wood and one bagasse. Babul (97 percent) and eucalyptus (3
percent) are the preferred species. Fiberboard may be used as a substitute for
plywood, which costs four times more than fiberboard. Fiberboard plants, nevertheless,
only operate at 23 percent of installed capacity and the fiberboard industry is
stagnant.
Plywood
manufacture
There are 17 plywood plants in
Pakistan; ten of them are in the Punjab, six in Sindh and one in NWFP. The
installed capacity of the mills is 1.6 million m3 per shift (eight
working hours). One mill operates on three shifts, whereas others operate at
less than 50 percent capacity. If they could obtain sufficient supplies of high
quality wood, most mills would operate three shifts. Indeed, some plants, to supplement
supplies, go through the lengthy and costly process of importing small amounts
of teak, keruing and other woods from Southeast Asia. Production of plywood
increased from 30 000 m3 in 1996 to 47,000 m3 in 2000.
Entrepreneurs/
Furniture Associations of Pakistan
Following are the active furniture associations;
·
All Pakistan
Furniture Exporters Association (registered DGTO)
·
All Pakistan
Furniture Makers Association
·
Furniture
Manufacturers Association
·
Cottage Furniture
Association.
Machinery
Equipment and Production
The machinery and equipment in the furniture industry is mainly:
not modern; of low efficiency; and not suitable for modern production requirements.
The result is low productivity and quality of goods.
Financial
aspects
Problems related to financial aspects are: low investment of
entrepreneurs into machinery and equipment; shortage of working capital;
difficult access to funds; difficulty to obtain loans; and too high interest rates.
Finance and investment are the biggest problems of the furniture industry.
Training
Transition of the
furniture industry from a traditional one to a modern one is not possible
without technical assistance from abroad. An
acute shortage of skilled workforce is hampering exports of furniture and
furnishing products from Pakistan. This sector will need around 2 million skilled workers by 2022 and a
higher growth in employment is expected from 2017-22 due to swift changes in
consumer preferences and popularity of organized furnishing services. Owing to
a swift change in technology and rapid innovation, the furniture
manufacture workers and designers must
learn to work with many applications. Vocational
and technical institutes hardly meet requirement of the furniture and interior
designing industry.
Existing challenges in terms of gaps in
human resources and skill requirements
Challenges in Labour Skills
Demand
Labor § Lack of supervisory skills required for production operations.
General lack of skills at preparing Bills of Materials at supervisor level.
§ Less than optimal engagement of appropriate skills of qualified craft workers in the production of furniture
§
Lack of utilization of modern equipment such as computer numerically
controlled machines.
§
Lack of skills required for setting-up, programming and maintenance of machinery.
§
Lack of experience of latest gluing techniques, latest finishing and polishing materials, and application of modern hardware materials like
sliders, concealed hinges etc.
§ Lack of skills in pattern making .
§ Lack of concept of managing to deliver the assigned job Just in Time.
Lack of availability of skilled labour in Gujranwala, Rawalpindi,
Karachi and Lahore
Lack of standards and certification
§ Labour is not aware of efficient production techniques
§ Supervisory level skills to improve labor efficiency are also lacking
§
Lack of quality controls, checks and standardisation according to international requirements.
Manufacturing techniques
|
Technology
|
§
|
Modern machinery training
is virtually non-existent, thus impeding the use of sensible effective equipment3.
|
|
Marketing techniques
|
§
§
|
Lack of marketing and design information for merchandising and export promotion has held back innovative selling.
|
Government Policies/Regulatory environment
Human Resource Developments
§ Inadequate retailing skills
§
Lack of proper logistic management and investment.
§ Lack of cooperation at intra and inter cluster level.
Challenges in Labor Skills Supply: Non standardization in training curriculum and standards Challenges in setting up training infrastructure;
Lack
of knowledge of career path amongst youth; Lack of proper work methodology amongst employees; Lack of awareness of furniture sector’s potential as a career option Availability and retention of manpower
Skills Analysis
§ Experience:
o
A vast majority of firms (97%) cited prior experience as an essential requirement for
hiring
workers. Within these, in about 57% of cases, work experience of 1 to
4 years was considered essential, and in 42% of cases experience of 5 to
10 years was required.
o
It may be the case that experience acts as substitute for formal training
and
certification: in the absence of these, instead of demanding formally trained workers, firms demand workers who have learned on-the-job elsewhere. These workers having had informal
on-the-job training are then considered “skilled” in owners’ views.
§
Current Vacancies:
§
§
A total of 75 firms (or 17%) reported having vacancies at the time of
the
survey. Vacancies for assemblers or fitters of furniture were most frequently reported
by firms, followed by bed-frame makers, and carving machine operators. A total of at least 114
vacancies were reported by firms
across
the 14 trades
identified,
§
Current
“Skills Shortages”:
o
A deficit of skills can occur as a “skill shortage”. This is measured as the occurrence of “skill shortage vacancies” where “skill shortage vacancy” is defined as one that occurs
when an employer
cannot find applicants
with the
right skills, qualifications or
experience to do
the
job
o
Vacancies that were most frequently considered hard-to-fill due to a shortage of skilled workers were for bed-frame makers (24% of all skill-shortage vacancies were for bed-
frame makers). Other skill shortages were for furniture fitters (16% of skill-shortage
vacancies), table-makers (14
%), furniture
polishers
(12%),
and sofa-frame/chair- makers
(12%).
o
The other major reason for vacancies being hard-to-fill was that while skilled workers
were available, they were demanding high salaries. (Other reasons such as issues with
location of firm, working hours, absence of benefits were cited only by a small number of
respondents).
§ Projected skills needs:
o
Based on
the
demand projections, an additional sum of 142,964 employees will be required in the furniture sector in Punjab in the coming 6 years (2016-2021). Details of
majorly demanded trades are:
§
Bed frame makers 30,628
§
Sofa/ chair makers
21,658
§
Furniture fitters 18,265
§
Carving machine operators 14,361
o
According to the findings of the report bed-frame makers were high in demand which
was further accentuated due to the
existing shortage of skilled manpower for the trade.
o
Other skills that were in high demand and also expected to persist in the future were
table-makers, chair-makers and furniture fitters.
§
Skill Gaps:
§
§
Based on the analysis of declared ratings of the importance of various aspects/skills to company performance and the level of proficiency among workers in those aspects, the largest perceived gaps were in the area of managerial skills rather than technical skills
associated with furniture making.
o
It was evident that currently firms see a deficit in proficiency in such areas as product pricing, cost reduction strategies, management and finance and quality control.
These were found to be problem areas for
60 to 70% of firms (firms
that had gaps) and the size
of the gaps was
generally rated as medium to
large.
o
Perceived gaps in technical skills related to the making of furniture were low relative to management skills. Among technical skills related to direct furniture making, lumber grading, wood identification and basic properties of woods, perceived skill gaps were
found in 20 to 30% of firms. The size of the skills gaps was generally rated to be small to medium.
o
Other technical skills such as business planning, quality and process control, inventory
control, product distribution
dealing
with changing
raw
materials were problematic
areas in over 50% of firms, and the perceived size of the skills gap was
also
large.
The Demand for Training in General
§
The sector relied to a large degree on informal training via on-the-job training or learning- by-doing and had a strong preference for the same.
§
While a quarter of firms reported being interested in providing their workers with off-site
trainings, when given other options there was a strong preference for on-the-job training:
none of the firms picked off-site training as a preferred option when other options were presented.. Furthermore, 72% of firms were willing to give at most one day off to workers
for the purpose of training.
§
Respondents were asked for the reasons behind not training their employees. The results
were as follows:
o
Of the total number of responses, the most frequently cited reason (49% of responses)
was that employees
were already trained.
o
Of the remaining responses, 44% of responses cited that training was either
unimportant, unproductive and time consuming, or that employees could learn on their own.
o
Lack of training facilities was not a frequently cited reason (only 0.7% of responses chose this as a reason). This suggests that initiatives that provide opportunities and
facilities for training may not be sufficient; the value of training will have to be
demonstrated for there to be successful.
Human Resource Management
§
With
regards
to human resource management, firms were asked how they would respond to
a decrease in demand in the market for their goods. The most common response was that employers would reduce the number of wage earners. Surprisingly, the least-preferred
options were: reducing the benefits paid out to workers or reducing salaries. This shows that most employers are concerned about the psychological impact of reducing rewards given out to
their employees.
§
Other common responses included diversifying activities, abandoning activities and improving the quality of products.
§
When asked about the characteristics preferred in new employees, most employers gave
importance to skill and experience overall. Barely 2% of the respondents stated that they would be willing to hire a highly skilled employee with 10 years of experience regardless of
his behavior or attitude. When behavior and attitude was taken into account, 30% of the
respondents claimed to
be
willing to hire such
an employee.
§
If an employee was
also
educated along
with being highly skilled and 10 years of experience,
his
attitude did not prove to be detrimental since 18.2% were willing to hire such a
candidate.
§
The most preferred option overall was that of an educated, semi-skilled candidate with 5
years
of experience,
regardless of behavior or attitude.
Pakistan’s furniture exports
Total world trade of furniture is estimated to be $23.2
billion. Wood furniture accounts for 77 percent, metal furniture 17 percent,
and plastic furniture 6 percent of the total. In 2010, the share of Pakistan in
the international furniture market is trivial. Even though the country takes
pride in having a history of craftsmanship, it does not share a significant
position in the international wood furniture market. Furniture exports have declined from 102 M US$
in 2013 to 76 MUS$ in 2016.
The export potential of Pakistani furniture is now very
high as timber resources for solid type furniture are inadequate to meet the
future needs of large volumes production .Only few companies are exporting :
traditional Pakistani furniture to US and Europe ; and modified and redesigned furniture
of western taste to the Middle East .The present exporters are not facing huge
problems in the past only 6% of the production has been exported25% each to US
and Europe and 50% to Middle East .There may be opportunities to increase
exports to Middle East of : high value, labor intensive (hand carved) style
furniture ; knocked down series furniture on the basis of solid wood replacing
board e.g. for kitchens . The latter would require a significant improvement in
quality and standard of furniture produced.. Due to shortage of material to
support this export drive the push to increase exports will require import of
suitable material causing a loss of foreign exchange which hardly be
compensated by increased exports of finished goods .
Pakistan's exports of wooden furniture amounted to $51 million in
2011. As
per World Trade
Organization’s
statistics, the wooden furniture exports of Pakistan reportedly amounted to
almost $51 million in the calendar year (CY) 2011. Whereas, in 2009-2010 the
furniture exports of Pakistan ranged between $25 million to $30 million
(excluding undocumented exports of an approximate amount of $10 million).
However, according to the All Pakistan Furniture Exporters Association (APFEA) founder Mr. Turhan
Baig Muhammad, these exports represent a very small portion of the total
furniture business of the country. According to him, the local furniture market
is almost 50 times stronger than that of the exports. Keeping this in view, the
approximate total furniture sale of the country is more than $2.5 billion. Wood furniture making
mostly remains a cottage operation in Chiniot, Gujrat, Lahore, Peshawar and
Karachi outside the documented economy. But a few small furniture companies in
the organised sector have expanded their production by acquiring technology to
produce quality, cheaper modern items — mainly for the Rs7bn domestic market
but also for exports. Pakistan is losing its edge in traditional, carved, solid
wood furniture, in the domestic market because of its high price, and in the
foreign markets due to poor quality and design.
Pakistan’s business community is not only
targeting to enhance exports to China, but is also striving to strengthen the
partnership that will facilitate growth in trade with major partners,” he said
and cited the UK, Germany and Spain as potential partners. He appreciated the
PFC for bringing latest technical knowhow to Pakistan in order to develop the
furniture industry and bring it on a par with the international market.
|
LIST
OF PAKISTAN FURNITURE EXPORTERS
|
|||||
|
S.No
|
Company Name
|
Contact Person
|
Address
|
Contact No.
|
Email Address
|
|
1
|
M/s. National Furnishers (Pvt) Ltd
|
Mr. Saif Durrani
|
944-J-2, Shahra-e-Naziriya Pakistan, near Expo
centre, Johar Town, Lahore
|
042-35761580-1 0300-5557846
|
|
|
2
|
M/s. Heaven Furniture (Pvt) Ltd
|
Mr. Sajjad,
Mr. Khalid Farooq
|
Hussain Chowk, Lahore Pakistan
|
042-35758399 , 0306-6249937
|
|
|
3
|
M/s. Al-Mohkam Furnishers (Pvt) Ltd
|
Mr. Maqbool
|
43-N, Gulberg-II, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
|
42-5750259 / 5750258 0321-8476285
|
|
|
4
|
M/s. Chenone (Pvt) Ltd
|
Mr. Umar Farooq
|
Nishatabad Faisalabad
|
041 8754472-78, 0323-7778090
|
|
|
5
|
M/s. Gourmet Furnisher
|
|
Hali Road, Gulberg
|
42 35776440 –
321 4444467
|
|
|
6
|
M/s. Enviro Furniture
|
Mr. Usman Khan
|
Mega Tower,Ground Floor, 63-B, Main Boulevard,
Gulberg -II Lahore.Tower
|
42 35777526
0320-0840435
|
|
|
7
|
M/s. Habitt Furniture
|
Mr. Aoan
|
Tipu Sultan Road, Karachi
|
0321-2226822
|
|
|
8
|
M/s. Master Furniture (Pvt) Ltd
|
Mr. Asim Chaudhry
|
|
042-35752620-2 0345-4483949
|
|
|
9
|
M/s. N.M. Furniture
|
Mr. Amjad Farooq
|
GT Road Gujrat
|
053-3524397 0300-8474108
|
|
|
10
|
M/s. Trendline Furniture
|
Mr. Ansar Mehmood
|
GT Road Gujrat
|
053-3517120 0300-8617193
|
|
|
11
|
M/s. Woodco Furniture
|
Mr. Furrukh Saeed
|
GT Road Gujrat
|
055-3890631 0300--8640210
|
|
|
12
|
M/s. Shelwood
|
Mr. Ali Sheikh
|
Inside Shelton Hotel Gujranwala
|
055-3259501 0300-8643199
|
|
|
13
|
M/s. Best Buy Furniture
|
Mr. M. Asim
|
GT Road Gujrat
|
053-3510312 0345-6878881
|
|
|
14
|
M/s. General Furniture
|
Mr. M.Nazir
|
GT Road Gujrat
|
053-3517897 0300-6230142
|
|
CHINESE
to set up Furniture manufacturing units in Pakistan
Chinese furniture manufacturers have
expressed willingness to establish manufacturing units by forming joint
ventures in Pakistan and at the same time Pakistani furniture outlets will be
set up in different cities of China to promote bilateral trade.
According to Pakistan Furniture Council
(PFC) Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq, Pakistan and China are moving towards
greater economic cooperation. A senior PFC delegation is currently on a visit to
China along with the prime minister’s entourage in a bid to enhance mutual
cooperation in trade and technology.
Discussing an international exhibition going
on in China, Ashfaq said Pakistan’s furniture manufacturers were focusing on
contemporary designs with an innovative touch besides showcasing traditional
and handmade furniture in the fair. “We want to diversify exports and search
new partners for conducting business,” he added.
He pointed out that Pakistan exported
furniture and related products worth $8-12 million annually, but the figure did
not reflect the industry’s true potential and its capacity to produce
high-quality furniture. He suggested that Pakistani exporters should actively
participate in international furniture shows and exhibitions in an attempt to
highlight their ability to produce eye-catching products.
Ashfaq stressed that Chinese technology
could help upgrade Pakistan’s furniture sector and utilise its untapped
potential. He was of the view that Pakistan had immense potential to promote
itself among the Chinese business community as the country provided excellent
business opportunities.
Assistance
Presently the Industry is served by: Swedish
Technical Institute Karachi ; Pak Germen Wood working Center, Peshawar ; and
Wood working center , Gujrat . Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PISC) is operating
a Service Center for the timber industry in Gujrat .
Intervention
The government needed to put in place a plan to create and develop
a sustainable, low cost source of wood raw materials, eradicate illegal timber
trade, train designers and labor, organize single-country road shows to market
local products in key export markets like the Gulf states, the US, the European
Union and Japan.
The PFC chairman pointed out that it would take a longer time to
compete internationally in the modern, mass furniture segment. But, he said,
Pakistan could still earn a lot of foreign exchange by creating a high-end
‘niche’ market for its traditional and ethnic furniture. “Our industry has no
contact with any global brand or store, which is essential to boost exports.
The foreign customers of Pakistani furniture mostly comprise of overseas Pakistanis
living in the US, Canada, the UK and the Middle East.”
In the absence of an official policy supporting the furniture
industry, the PFC is working on a plan to set up common display centers and
model units, with the help of Italy, for encouraging small producers to adopt
new technologies and boost their local and overseas sales.“We are doing our
bit. But the industry will not grow unless the government decides to hold its
hand and help remove obstacles in the supply chain,” Kashif concluded.
Other Country Experience
China was
nowhere on the scene in the early 1990s but emerged as the 9th largest
furniture exporter in 2000. It is now a top exporter with market share of about
two-fifth or $94bn. Malaysia too, grew fast to raise its furniture exports to
over $1.5bn with its companies graduating from original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) to original brand manufacturers (OBMs) to original design manufacturers
(ODMs).
Review of existing forest
products related data
Institutions involved in
data collection, analysis and dissemination
The following
ministries/departments are engaged in collection, analysis and dissemination of
forest products data:
- The Office of the Inspector General of Forests,
Ministry of Environment, Local Government and Rural Development.
- Ministry of Industries and Production.
- Ministry of Commerce.
- Federal Bureau of Statistics.
- Pakistan Custom Department.
- Central Board of Revenue.
- State Bank of Pakistan.
- Provincial Forest Departments.
- Pakistan Forest Institute
Current users of forest
products production and trade data
Current users of FBS
forest products production and trade data include:
- The Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Planning &
Development Division, (for approval of development projects),
- Export Promotion Bureau
- Provincial Forest Departments (to validate revenue
receipts)
- Provincial Planning and Development Boards (to guide
recommendations for funding development work),
- The Ministry of Finance,
- Provincial Finance Departments
- The State Bank of Pakistan,
- The Central Board of Revenue.
- Chamber of commerce and trade
- Exporters & importers
- Universities and Educational institutions
- Donor agencies
Use of CHK data is
confined to the Central Board of Revenue and the Ministry of Finance.
Forest-related
information currently collected
Information presently
collected at the local and national level includes the following:
- Forest area under compact plantation
- Forest Area under linear plantation (roadside/rail side
canal plantation)
- Area afforested/reforested under different schemes
- Forest Departments Nurseries
- Planting stock available or distributed during tree
planting campaigns
- Revenue generated from grazing and grass cutting
- Work done for rangelands improvement
- Work done to develop sericulture (rearing of silkworms)
- Work done for watershed management
- Area subject to felling and thinning
- Out-turn of timber from state forests
- Yield of fuel wood from state forests
- Forest crop damage through natural causes (flood, fire
and others)
- Import/export of forest products
- Surveys for removal and production of processed wood
