Of the overall exports from Nepal, around 46 percent goods exported are handicrafts items, according to the Trade and Export Promotion Center of the country (TEPC).
According to TEPC statistics which were shared during the ‘Role of Handicraft Industries in Poverty Alleviation’ interaction program organized recently by Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN), handicrafts are a major contributor to the country’s exports, reports the Himalayan Times.
During the interaction, Deepak Subedi, joint secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, stressed on the importance of promoting handicraft industries in the country in order to earn foreign currency and reduce the trade deficit.
It is necessary to modernize traditional handicrafts in the country and increase production of handicraft items based on ancient art and culture, he added.
Mr. Subedi informed that the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies has been running training programs and providing incentives for the promotion and development of handicraft industry in the country.
Hem Ratna Shakya, president of FHAN, said the handicrafts sector of Nepal is currently facing problems manufacturing products on time due to lack of skilled human resources and the undue pressure from various trade unions.
The FHAN official urged Nepal’s Government to provide concession on the import of raw materials for the handicrafts industry, in order to manufacture products on time.
According to FHAN data, total export of handicraft products from the country touched Np Rs 4.36 billion, during the 2012-13 fiscal year, indicating an increase of 6 percent year-on-year. The export figure during 2011-12 was around Rs 4.11 billion.