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By Nadira Gunatilleke

A buyer - seller meet cum exhibition of footwear components from India jointly organised by the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) and Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association (IFCOMA) sponsored by the Sri Lanka - German Private Sector Promotion Project will be held today and tomorrow from 10 am to 7 pm at the Galle Face Hotel.

According to the Chairman of the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries, Ranjith Hettiarachchi the main objective of this exhibition is to promote small and medium scale footwear manufacturers in Sri Lanka.

About 20 Indian companies are participating in this exhibition. "This will be a very good opportunity for the small and medium scale footwear manufacturers from the outstations. The entry will be free," he said.

Among the items on display are lasts, soles (PU, TRP, PVC, and leather), strap and mignons, linings and interlinings, leather boards, threads and tapes, clicking dies, sole moulds, toe puff and counter sheets and adhesives and chemicals. In the last budget, the Government imposed a maximum tax of Rs.100 per pair of imported footwear.

This is the first time in Sri Lanka's history that a Government imposed a tax on imported footwear under the open economy to promote local footwear manufacturers. The income generated by footwear manufacturing in 1993 was US $ 27 million and the income was US $ 70 in 1997. In Sri Lanka there are 12 major footwear manufacturing companies, 30 medium scale footwear manufacturing companies and several small scale footwear manufacturing companies. The per capita consumption of footwear is about three to four pairs and the demand for high quality footwear grows everyday.

"We cannot afford to import footwear but we have sufficient and capable labour. This exhibition will help to create a large number of jobs", he added.

In the past, several local manufacturers including Korea Ceylon, Gampaha Sports Footwear Manufacturers and Arcadia closed their factories. The only multinational footwear manufacturing company also faced many hardships. The main reasons behind the regression of the footwear industry in Sri Lanka were the inability to adopt the new trendy footwear fashions, the high competition by China in the footwear industry and the high cost of electricity and other costs.

Counsellor (Economic and Commercial), High Commission of India, V.Ashok said: We should not let politics affect cordial trade links and economic progress between India and Sri Lanka. The future of our economic relationship between the two countries is very bright," he added.

National Co-ordinator, Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association, Mohinder Garg said that about 20 components are required to manufacture a good pair of gents' footwear.

Senior Technical Consultant, Sri Lanka - German Private Sector Promotion Project, Bernard Hettiarachchi said that footwear manufacturing is one of the industries that has a minimum impact on the environment.

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