Daily Times

The Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Friday demanded the government to enhance forest cover areas by planting trees to reduce volume of importing softwood in furniture sector, which would help save billions of rupees in the form of foreign exchange.

In his statement, PFC Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq said Pakistan is importing more than 75 percent of its total consumption of softwood due to inefficiency and corruption of provincial departments, causing a loss of billions of rupees.

He said that only 25 percent need of the country was being fulfilled from domestic production, as billions of rupees high-cost wood was being wasted due to negligence and vested interest of the provincial forest departments.

“In order to promote plantation at local level, the government should start cash incentive programmes for forest communities to discourage felling of the trees, which can result in efficient, cost effective and equitable conservation of forests.”

Mian Kashif said there was a huge potential of investment opportunities in forest sector in southern Punjab and by promoting commercial forestry in the area, green jobs in rural areas would be created and logging pressure on existing forests would be reduced.

He said in order to prevent cutting of the forests, alternative sources should be encouraged to promote the use of energy and to inform people about the importance of the forestry.

The PFC chief said that punitive measures and punishments were no longer an option to stop deforestation,. “We need to rethink preventive measures to halt deforestation and protect our natural resources rather striving to reverse it. We should not take for granted the ecosystem services and should conserve it for our benefit,” he added.

“If government gives the status of industry to furniture sector, it can earn substantial foreign exchange and promote local handmade industry by imparting training on modern lines to unskilled wood workers,” said PFC Secretary Aqul Sardar.

Published in Daily Times, June 16^th 2018.