Handicraft exports fall 78 per cent
The News – International, Pakistan
By Muhammad Yasir
KARACHI: Pakistani handicrafts are losing their foothold in international markets.
There was a 78 per cent decline in handicraft exports during the first six months of the current fiscal, Federal Bureau of Statistics reported.
Handicraft exports fell to Rs74 million a fall of Rs260 million compared to Rs334 million worth of handicrafts exported during July-December 2005-2006.
A zero figure questioned the future of Pak handicrafts as December 2006 saw no exports made under this head a 100 per cent decline compared to Rs52 million worth of handicrafts exported in December 2005
Pakistan exports marble, wood, carpet, mirror and glass, shoes, embroidery, metal and clay pots and many other miscellaneous handmade items to USA, Europe, Middle East and Far East.
Exporters and manufacturers of handicrafts attributed this decline to apathy of the government toward this sector, high cost of production and transportation, shortage of power supply, lack of skilled labours and marketing of products.
Jamal Nasir, General Secretary Pakistan Small Industries Association said the government has been ignoring handicraft industry in terms of providing incentives and subsidies, which was discouraging manufacturers.
He flayed the dilly-dally attitude of Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP) toward small industry and said that it did not provide showcase and marketing platform to the handicrafts at foreign expos although the country enjoyed popularity in this sector all over the world.
Zia Ahmed Khan, export trophy winner in handicrafts sector and former member managing committee, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) told the News that look-alike handicrafts made on machines instead of being handmade have flooded the global markets.
He said that cheap products from China have captured the market of Far East whereas Italy has gripped the European market due to lower prices in a competitive environment.