There are three consortia of carpet producers who are attending Domotex 2006:

1. Northern Afghan Carpet Consortium (NACC) Profile>>
Members: 4
Number of weavers: 4270
Production capacity: 6500 square meters per month

2. Aqcha Carpet Consortium of Afghanistan (ACCA) Profile>>
Members: 6
Number of weavers: 4130
Production capacity: 6500 square meters per month

3. Kabul Carpet Consortium of Afghanistan (KCCA) Profile>>
Members: 6
Number of weavers: 12650
Production capacity: 10500 square meters per month

Between us, we have over 300 years of experience in carpet production. While some of us entered the business some 10 years ago, others have inherited the tradition from our forefathers.

We all share in common a strong market orientation, a commitment to our customers, and a careful eye for quality. We have standardized raw material purchasing and production processes, and follow a joint marketing model. Each consortia has a professional manager who runs its operations and liaises with its customers.

We offer a variety of products, using either natural or chemical dyes, hand or machine spun wool, and in all sizes. To learn more, please visit our product gallery.

A number of organizations are involved in supporting our efforts.
They are introduced below:
• The OTF Group
• Cluster Pulse
• AISA

The OTF Group

The OTF Group is the strategic business partner for regions and nations that are striving to build international competitiveness. Our work focuses on building competitiveness at the firm-level by developing winning strategies, fostering cooperation within clusters of firms, and facilitating productive dialogue between private and public sectors to promote innovation.

Our private and public sector client base spans North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. We have helped develop competitiveness strategies in a broad mix of industry clusters, ranging from tourism and textiles to banking and biotechnology.

Our work with the Afghan carpet cluster forms part of Afghanistan Competitiveness Project (ACP), sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development. The objective of the ACP is to develop market strategies for three industry sectors of Afghanistan’s economy. This entails locating opportunities for revenue growth though choosing the best customers, identifying gaps in current capabilities, and creating strategies to take advantage of untapped business opportunities. Aside from carpets, we are also supporting the dried fruits and nuts, marble, finance and transportation clusters.

For more information go to: www.otfgroup.com

Cluster Pulse

Cluster Pulse, an NGO, is a professionally managed, self-sustaining, autonomous institution with grassroots level experience in implementation of cluster development initiatives. We achieve our objective through the twin and innovative approaches of market intervention and technology upgradation. A core activity of Cluster Pulse is implementation of cluster development initiatives by way of both backward and forward linkage.

We have worked in 42 clusters for UNIDO-CDP, Ministry of Small Scale Industry, State Bank of India (Project Uptech), Textiles Committee, Ministry of Textiles, and State Governments in several countries like India, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, UK , Canada, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, China and Uganda. We have worked in clusters of Textiles, AGRO, Engineering, Consumer goods, Pharmaceuticals and the Knowledge cluster.

For more information go to: www.clusterpulse.org

Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA)

AISA’s aim is to offer comprehensive services in order to remove red tape and bureaucratic process,
and facilitate the process of investment in Afghanistan.

AISA’s responsibilities and services include:
• Securing all necessary permits, licenses and clearances.
• General information on investment opportunities.
• Judicial details on investment, tax, labor, insurance and environmental laws/regulations and   social/ecological standards.
• Financial information regarding banking facilities cost of labor and investment incentives.
• Support in the acquisition/leasehold of land.
• Assistance in custom clearance of material related to the investment.
• Online investment inquiry/information and license application.
• Sponsoring investment conferences and symposiums.
• Announcement of investment opportunities via the foreign missions in Afghanistan and the Afghan   Embassies overseas.

For more information go to: www.aisa.org.af