October 29: The 18th handicraft trade fair and the 16th craft competition is all set to kick off in the capital in three weeks. The Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN) is going to organise the fair at the Hayat Regency Hotel, Bouddha from November 19 to 21.

The trade fair used to be organised at Bhrikutimandap in the previous years.

Organising a press meet on Thursday, the federation said it expects the fair to play an important role in reviving the domestic as well as international market of handicraft. The handicraft market has been badly affected by the  impacts of Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to inaugurate the fair. The fair co-ordinator, Rabindra Shakya informed that high-ranking government officials, exporters as well as ambassadors of different countries have been invited to the fair.

The fair will have 120 stalls of various handicraft items. Rajman Bajracharya, the coordinator of craft competition informed that the different gifts would be given away to the participants of the craft competition.

The main objective of the fair is to promote the domestic and international market of Nepali handicraft and other manufactured goods, and to develop business relations between Nepali entrepreneurs and foreign handicraft importers.

The purpose of the fair is to provide a favourable environment for gathering national and international buyers and sellers all in one place, to provide market access to new entrepreneurs, and to highlight the interdependent relationship between handicrafts and Nepali culture as well.

On the occasion of the fair, senior artists over 70 years of age and the best exporters of handicraft items to foreign markets will also be honoured.