INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Sri Lanka has activated the long-awaited free insurance facility to its historic crafts and handicraft sectors on the 6th of October,
stated the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
Sri Lanka announced it also keen on introducing hi-tech design tools to its craftsmen so that their intricate work could garner better
global attention.&Very soon there will be demands by our craft sector to start work with latest technological advancements,& said Sri Lanka
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development - Vocational
Training (ICTPDPCDSDVT) Rishad Bathiudeen on 6 October in Colombo.
Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the Shilpa Abhimani 2019 Presidential
Handicrafts Award Ceremony by the National Crafts Council (NCC) under his Ministry held at BMICH
He was joined by his State Minister Buddhika Pathirana, President of the World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region (WCC-AP) Ghada Hijjawi
Qaddumi, NCC Chairperson Heshani Bogollagma, Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka David Holly, Iranian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mohammad
Zaeri Amirani, craftsmen and artists from Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Oman, Iran, Bangladesh, and Nepal, Lankan craft winners and expo
Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Alaina B
Teplitz also toured the expo stalls of Shilpa Abhimani 2019
Many artists and craftsmen received awards for their outstanding creations at this event
&After years of work, we finally activated the free insurance scheme &Shilpa Suraksha& for local craftsmen, beginning this year
In phase I of this project, annually 5000 Lankan craftsmen will receive free insurance cover
This is the first time in Sri Lanka history that our craftsmen get insurance cover, that too free of charge
We thank President Maithripala Sirisena for his initiatives to make this long-standing demand by the craft sector a success& said Minister
Bathiudeen.
He added: &Today event by NCC showcases the collective and creative side of Sri Lanka craftsmen who are involved in this
important sector for centuries
There are more than 20000 registered Sri Lankan craftsmen with the NCC
Crafts and designs are a very competitive sector
It is increasingly market-driven
Therefore it is important for our craftsmen to be up to date in their work and we need to support them here.
