The Ministry of Industries and Production convened the second meeting of the committee dedicated to the development of the Tiles Industry, led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Mr. Haroon Akhtar Khan. He emphasized the industry’s crucial role in the national economy and stressed the necessity to prevent its shutdown.

During the meeting on Thursday, Haroon Akhtar Khan scrutinized progress reports from the Tiles Industry and the Engineering Development Board. He highlighted the industry”s severe cost disadvantages, which have escalated due to a 72% rise in production costs driven by higher natural gas and electricity prices. He pointed out that before 2018, a regulatory duty of 55% on tiles resulted in imports worth approximately 215 million US dollars annually.

He called for incentives to support industries like the Tiles sector, aligning with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision to boost exports and reduce import reliance. “Our industries are closing down; we must protect them and steer them toward a path of growth and development,” he asserted.

The committee committed to ongoing efforts to tackle the challenges facing the Tiles Industry and to back policies enhancing its competitiveness on both domestic and international fronts.