Exhibitors demand DITF time extention
Saturday, 23 January 2010
Sonia H Moni
Stall holders at Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF-2010) demanded for time expansion as the foggy weather seriously interrupted sales during the first half of the fair.
The country, including the city had experienced a cold wave in the first half of the month forcing the city dwellers to remain inside their houses that resulted in poor sales in the fair, stall owners said.
Asian Textile Director Shah Alam told FE "The authority should extend the fair by at least 10 days more so that we are able to do some business."
"If the time is not extended then every stall owner will be in trouble as sufficient visitors could not come to the fair," he added.
Marketing officer of Munnu Ceramics, Mirza Mafuzur Rahman said "Our sale was average. We are expecting the sale to increase in the last ten days."
Owner of the T R Fair Abdul Wadud said "I have sold products around Tk 40,000 on Thursday while Wednesday it was Tk 37,000."
"I am selling jewelry, leather bags, toys and I am satisfied with the sale. If the authority increase the time frame of the fair and I could maintain the sale rate between Tk 40,000-Tk 50,000, I could make profit."
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Vice-chairman Shahab Ullah said "We are not interested to extend the time of the fair because it create a lot of problems including administrative and fair decoration."
He said "The fair gate leaseholders take lease for the 30 days and they are not interested in the time extension."
They claimed that the turn-out of visitors would be poor as per the previous experiences.
Mr. Shahab said "Stalls owners are not interested to pay more to the authority for the extended period.
"On the other hand, foreign stall owners are interested to maintain the time frame and they always pack up within the period."
He said "They shut down their stall which spoil the decoration of the international trade fair and distract the visitors."
The EPB official said they have conveyed the stall owners concern to the Commerce Minister considering their business as the occasion is the mega event for selling and displaying their products.
Mr. Shahab said "Everyday around 50,000-70,000 people are visiting the fair while it crosses 200,000-300,000 in the holidays during the last part of the fair."
He said around 4 million to 5 million people will visit 15th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF-2010) and there is a big hope for the stall owners.
About the export order, he told that this can be confirmed after the fair but it is declining day by day because in the pervious years buyers were interested in spot order but nowadays they are interested for factory visit and negotiation with the local companies.
Export orders in 2006 were around Tk 246.8 million, which came down to Tk 226 million in 2008 and Tk 199.1 million in 2009.
The buyers from China, Iran, Italy, UK, Sweden, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan are visiting the month-long fair looking for Bangladesh's leather items, ceramic ware, jute products and textile products, said EPB sources.
Stall holders at Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF-2010) demanded for time expansion as the foggy weather seriously interrupted sales during the first half of the fair.
The country, including the city had experienced a cold wave in the first half of the month forcing the city dwellers to remain inside their houses that resulted in poor sales in the fair, stall owners said.
Asian Textile Director Shah Alam told FE "The authority should extend the fair by at least 10 days more so that we are able to do some business."
"If the time is not extended then every stall owner will be in trouble as sufficient visitors could not come to the fair," he added.
Marketing officer of Munnu Ceramics, Mirza Mafuzur Rahman said "Our sale was average. We are expecting the sale to increase in the last ten days."
Owner of the T R Fair Abdul Wadud said "I have sold products around Tk 40,000 on Thursday while Wednesday it was Tk 37,000."
"I am selling jewelry, leather bags, toys and I am satisfied with the sale. If the authority increase the time frame of the fair and I could maintain the sale rate between Tk 40,000-Tk 50,000, I could make profit."
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Vice-chairman Shahab Ullah said "We are not interested to extend the time of the fair because it create a lot of problems including administrative and fair decoration."
He said "The fair gate leaseholders take lease for the 30 days and they are not interested in the time extension."
They claimed that the turn-out of visitors would be poor as per the previous experiences.
Mr. Shahab said "Stalls owners are not interested to pay more to the authority for the extended period.
"On the other hand, foreign stall owners are interested to maintain the time frame and they always pack up within the period."
He said "They shut down their stall which spoil the decoration of the international trade fair and distract the visitors."
The EPB official said they have conveyed the stall owners concern to the Commerce Minister considering their business as the occasion is the mega event for selling and displaying their products.
Mr. Shahab said "Everyday around 50,000-70,000 people are visiting the fair while it crosses 200,000-300,000 in the holidays during the last part of the fair."
He said around 4 million to 5 million people will visit 15th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF-2010) and there is a big hope for the stall owners.
About the export order, he told that this can be confirmed after the fair but it is declining day by day because in the pervious years buyers were interested in spot order but nowadays they are interested for factory visit and negotiation with the local companies.
Export orders in 2006 were around Tk 246.8 million, which came down to Tk 226 million in 2008 and Tk 199.1 million in 2009.
The buyers from China, Iran, Italy, UK, Sweden, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan are visiting the month-long fair looking for Bangladesh's leather items, ceramic ware, jute products and textile products, said EPB sources.