The opening ceremony will be held under the patronage of Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa on Thursday (28).
The event will showcase a trade fair, exhibition and competition bringing together many creations of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and self-employed individuals from around the country. The trade fair will house 130 trade stalls, cultural events, demonstrations, seminars, new design promotional programmes together with registration of new craftsmen, said the Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Douglas Devananda, yesterday at a Press Conference held at the Auditorium of the Government Information Department.
Minister Devananda said that t more than 2,000 creations from 450 handicraft artists have been submitted for this year's competition.
The NCC has over 20,000 registered crafts persons of whom, the vast majority are women. The Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Developmen t together with the National Crafts Council constantly strives to advance the prevailing conditions of these crafts persons with the aim of fulfilling a pledge given in the 'Mahinda Chinthana ision for the Future' to strengthen local handicraft artists, said Secretary to the Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development V. Sivagnanasothi. (KH)
