The 13th Footwear and Leather Fair organised by the Sri Lanka Footwear and Leather Products Manufacturers Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Industries , Industrial Development Board and the Export Development Board which began on Friday will conclude today at 9 p.m. at the BMICH.
Many suppliers of raw material Accessories and Machinery from China, India, Pakistan are participating in this event which is being held after two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
The prime objective of the fair was to promote Sri Lankan products Locally as well as Internationally strengthen and sustain the image of the industry, promote Sri Lankan exports among international buyers, provide an opportunity for SMEs to improve their talents and capabilities to become export ready companies and to upgrade technological capabilities of SMEs and encourage them to move into manufacture of value added products to cater to the international market were among the other objectives .
The country’s approximate annual footwear requirement is in the range of 60 million pairs while the country’s current installed production capacity is also around 60 million pairs.
The current local manufacturer’s share is in the range 75% (45 million )and the remaining 25% (15 million) is fulfilled by legal and illegal imports as well as assembled footwear.
