Head of Iran’s National Carpet Center Ms. Farahnaz Rafe says the outbreak of coronavirus has affected the carpet market in the country and it has inflicted losses on carpet weaving workshops and threatens this sector.
On the outbreak of coronavirus and its impacts on the carpet economy of the country, Mr. Rafe said that most people involved in the carpet industry in the country do not have monthly salaries and they are mostly get daily-base wages and they get salary based on their performance in a month.
She admitted that carpet market has been badly in recession in recent days, adding that carpet shop owners and vendors have not ever experienced such a recession in their business on the eve of Nowruz (New Year) which will begin next Friday.
Financial Challenges Facing Handwoven Carpet Weavers
Rafe went on to say that most vendors and people in this business nowadays are unable to observe their financial obligations and they will definitely face many financial problems.
She noted that most hand-woven carpet weavers pay their insurance premium to the Social Welfare Organization by themselves at the end of every month and due to this hardship and almost halt in the business in the workshops, they are unable to pay it easily.
Rafe added that most of women active in this business are caretakers of their households and they will suffer more.
She said the National Carpet Center monitors carefully the effects of coronavirus on the national economy and it is working on solutions to overcome the woe.
She reiterated coronavirus has affected all businesses in the country and even in the world, and the center in collaboration with ministry of industry works to reduce negative impacts of this virus on the economy especially on hand-woven carpet industry.
In January, Rafe replaced Fereshteh Dastpak who had been the head of INCC since May 2018.
