ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) has called upon the authorities to support the ignored sector of handicrafts which can help lift millions out of poverty. “Pakistan can generate a handsome amount of foreign exchange by promoting handicrafts. These are mainly concentrated in the province of Sindh. However other provinces cannot be ignored,” PEW president Dr Murtaza Mughal said. “The government can promote this sector. The private sector on the other hand should invest in the handicrafts industry and turn it into a lucrative and profitable sector,” he said. He said that there was a great demand for locally made handicrafts in the international market. “Therefore, this sector should be promoted which is directly linked with the skilled women,” he said. “Promotion of this sector will not only serve the cause of poverty reduction and women empowerment, but it will also reduce unemployment while providing foreign exchange to the country,” he said. Dr Mughal said that handicrafts were once a major source of livelihood for millions of people. “However, rising input costs, difficult access to credit and poor marketing network, have brought the industry to a dismal state,” he said. He said that low prices, lack of proper marketing, want of exhibition centres, the discouraging behaviour of the bureaucracy, and the rising cost of business were some reasons behind the decline. He said that millions of people were working in this sector. “However, it is not organized. It continues to suffer due to the negligence of the authorities and middlemen who use abusive techniques,” he said. “A vibrant handicraft sector will not only improve the standard of living of millions of people, but also reduce the pace of migration from rural areas to the cities,” he said. Published in Daily Times, July 31st 2017.