LAHORE: Senior Vice Chairman, Pakistan Carpets Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMAEA) Riaz Ahmed Sunday demanded of the government to review entry fee for the participants in Domotax exhibition to be held in Germany.

In a joint statement, Ahmed said due to the coronavirus pandemic and decrease in exports in Pakistan, the carpet manufacturers were not in a position to pay full fee to participate in the aforesaid exhibition.

He said Domotax is the world’s biggest body in terms of promoting Pakistani handmade carpets in the international carpet market. He also demanded of the government to fully cooperate with the carpet exporters and appealed that in view of crunch facing the Pakistani carpet industry, a formula of 80/20 expenditure be implemented so that maximum number of Pakistani carpet traders could attend the mega event at the global market where India is the largest exporter and main competitor against Pakistan.

He also called for granting special Subsidy to the carpet exporters. In the current situation, restrictions on multiple participants should also be withdrawn on companies exporting carpets since long because new carpet traders would hardly join the exhibition as a result it would be a great blow to the Pakistani carpet exporters as we are confronting India a commercial rival of exporting Pakistani carpets in the global market.

He said the government should encourage Pakistani traders, enabling them to establish maximum stalls to grab good business for Pakistan. It is to mention here that Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP) had invited applications from the interested participants willing to attend Domotax exhibition to be held in Germany.