European Union, US, Japan and China have repeatedly warned Nepali handicraft exporters that they would not accept Nepali silver products from January 2010 if the products are found containing cadmium. [break]
Chandra Kumar Ghimire, joint secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS), told myrepublica.com that the well-equipped lab would be setup under Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach.
“The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has already agreed to provide Rs 5.1 million for the lab which is expected to cost around Rs 10 million. The amount will be released once we enter into an agreement with the private sector,” Ghimire informed.
There is no lab in the country capable of detecting hazardous elements.
The government agreed to set up the lab after months of lobbying from handicraft producers and exporters. The lab will be set up in the premises of Trade and Export Promotion Center (TEPC) in Lalitpur.
“As the government can´t provide fund to run the lab for indefinite period, a permanent source of income will also be identified to operate the lab,” Ghimire said, adding that public-private partnership in the lab will be at 51:49 ratio.
He hoped that the lab would help make Nepali metal products free from undesirable hazardous elements like cadmium and maintain uniformity in exportable products.
The MoCS, Department of Customs, Nepal Bureau of Standard and Metrology, TEPC and Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal (FHAN) will be the major stakeholders of the laboratory.
Bikash Ratna Dhakhwa, president of FHAN, said Nepali metal products would get market access to overseas markets, including Europe, US and Japan, once the lab that would issues quality certification.
“The lab will test samples of both raw materials and finished products and issue certificate mentioning the status of hazardous elements in them,” Dhakhwa added.
He said there haven´t been any problems in exporting metal handicraft so far, even though the importing countries had warned of banning the entry of silver products including jewelry from January 2010, if they were found containing cadmium -- an element known for its allergic properties.
“However, we need to be prepared to ensure our buyers that our products are free from hazardous elements including cadmium, nickel and lead,” he added.
According to FHAN, Nepal exported silver products worth Rs 361.90 million in 2008/09.
Presence of cadmium in Nepali silver products is a matter of serious concern not just for overseas buyers but also for Nepalis who use silver items for jewelry and household purposes.
Despite worsening economic climate in the country, silver export has been growing since the last two decades and commands some 12 percent weight in total handicraft exports.
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