Leather goods and footwear expo concludes

The 10^th edition of Leather Goods and Footwear Expo that concluded here today witnessed around 2,200 pairs of footwear being sold during the week, according to Leather Footwear and Goods Manufacturers Association of Nepal.

The expo also helped promote 'Made in Nepal' leather goods and footwear, said president of the association Hom Nath Upadhaya.

Though the domestic leather footwear has some 55 per cent market share, the need to promote 'Made in Nepal' leather goods and footwear is very crucial to generate employment and reverse the trend of deindustrialisation, he said, adding that more than 135,000 people visited the expo this year.

Likewise, president of Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN), Hem Ratna Shakya asked the government to reduce customs duty on raw materials for footwear companies. "It will help make Nepali footwear competitive in the market,” he said.