FHAN seeks right to issue Certificate of Origin

24 May '10

2 min read

In a bid to boost the exports of handicraft goods, Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal (FHAN) has appealed the government to grant them the rights of issuing the Certificate of Origin (CO).

Since last two years, the association has been demanding for the certificate, but the government has not paid any attention towards this, informed Pushkar Man Shakya, the immediate past-president of FHAN.

Handicraft exports have experienced a steep fall due to lack of this certification. Escalating exports is the key requirement of the country's handicraft sector and this would be possible only with the right to issue CO. Shakya said that, the association needs certification authority from the government at the earliest possible.

During the initial nine months of the current fiscal, handicraft goods have witnessed an export plunge of around 11 percent, against the same period last year, revealed an export data report. Exports of textile products during this period, dropped down to 18.95 percent, while that of non-textile products, increased slightly by 0.78 per cent.

Pashmina, which stood as the highest contributor to the overall exports by sharing 18.6 percent to the total exports of the country last year, also witnessed 35.59 percent fall in its exports during these nine months, stated FHAN.

More so, the association is soon to launch Non Destructive Technology based Laboratory in co-operation with the Ministry of Industry (MoI).

For the purchase of Cadmium Testing and Metal Content machines, worth Rs 12 million, government will grant 49 percent funds, while the remaining 51 percent will be contributed by FHAN. Shakya said that, purchasing and bringing these testing machines in to the country, will be a lot easier if the government grants the certification authority.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk - India

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