IPPmedia
By Daniel Ondigo
The Board of External Trade (BET) will stage a commercial handicraft exhibition at the Mwalimu J.K. Nyerere Trade Fair Grounds along Kilwa road in Dar es Salaam between May 20 and May 23, to observe this year’s World Cultural Day.
The World Cultural Day and Commercial Craft Exhibition will focus on improving the sector and enhancing network of stakeholders to meet market demands.
“The objective is to expose the potential of the sector in contributing to the national economy and livelihood of those it employs,“ the BET Director General, Ramadhan Khalfan, told The Guardian on Sunday in an interview this week.
The exhibition will be held in Songea, Ruvuma Region at the national level.
BET in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, Culture and Sports aims to use the exhibition to create market opportunities and promote sales of their commodities both locally and internationally.
The DG hopes the fair will attract exhibitors of antiquities, art designers, art and costumes builders, craftsmen, embroiders, wood carvers, sculptures and weavers.
Lawn designers and decorators, interior designers, rug-upholsters, flower pot/vessel modelers, musicians and drummers are also expected to feature at the exhibition.
Khalfan said the event is intended to attract things like craft and cultural products, games and performers, wood products, metal, plastic and synthetics, glass, stone, marbles, ceramics and products made from vegetation.
Others are kitchenware, tableware and general household ware.
He said participants can get registration forms from BET at a cost of 360,000/- VAT, inclusive of already built stand with a table, two chairs and spot lights.
In another development BET will organise a six-day solo exhibition to be held in Lubumbashi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between May 12 and May 17, where according to Khalfan there is a potential market for Tanzanian products.
He said participation fee will be USD 250 for small and medium entrepreneurs and USD 800 for manufacturers and large trading companies to cover exhibition space, local transport within Lubumbashi, publicity and promotional materials.
Participants are to meet their own transport costs, visa, accommodation and meals as well as general upkeep during the period, Khalfan explained.
The products expected to be showcased in the exhibition include foodstuffs, building materials, textile and garments, he said.
Others are pharmaceuticals, leather products, cigarettes, hard drinks, stationery as well as clearing and forwarding services.
* SOURCE: Sunday Observer