December 14: The 19th Handicraft Fair organized by the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN) concluded in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The organizer said that around 50,000 visitors attended the five-day fair which witnessed business worth Rs 100 million.    
Vice-Chairman of the federation Dilli Ratna Tuladhar said that the fair has revitalized the handicraft business that suffered badly due to the pandemic.    
President Bidya Devi Bhandari had inaugurated the fair on Friday.    
On the final day of the fair, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu visited the fair and handed over prizes to different individuals for their contribution to the handicraft sector. On the occasion, Minister Badu said the government has launched campaigns for production growth, development and prosperity and handicraft sector is a medium to achieve the goal.    
The minister also expressed government’s readiness to address the issues faced by the handicraft sector.    

According to the federation, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Chief Minister of Bagmati Province Rajendra Pandey and Province Tourism Minister Dipendra Shrestha and other officials visited the stalls.    
The federation has stated that exports of handicraft goods has gradually gained momentum while the demand for the handicraft products is increasing in the domestic market with the inflow of tourists. -- RSS