Ministry initiates buyer-seller meeting
 

by Irangika Range

The Small and Rural Industries Ministry organised a meeting for local handmade product manufacturers and local and foreign buyers on Tuesday in a major move to enhance trade ties between them in investment and joint ventures with local manufacturers and exporters.

The meeting was held to introduce local handmade products to buyers, which is the major aim of the Ministry to promote industrial villages' products by providing market facilities.

Under this program manufacturers displayed their product samples at the meeting. This will help to establish good trade links with buyers on market potentials. Deputy Minister Sunil Handunnetti said that the Ministry has already been set up five handmade products manufacturing villages in Kandy, Kurunegala, Matale, Kalutara and Gampaha under the Guru Peheyen Ran Peheyata national program to develop 1000 industrial villages in the country.

"Finding buyers for locally manufactured products is implemented by the Ministry in collaboration with the IDB. It provides other services including infrastructure facilities, technical and management support and providing machinery and equipment for industrial villages.

Handmade products are in demand in Japan, USA, Germany, Maldives, and the Netherlands and local production is not sufficient to meet foreign demand.