KATHMANDU: Entrepreneurs involved in the furniture and furnishing business have appealed to the government to save this sector from collapse. Participants of the 24th annual general meeting (AGM) of Nepal Furniture and Furnishing Association (NFFA) on Tuesday said that furniture businesses were at risk of collapse due to a lack of policy needed for the production of wood furniture.
NFFA President Dinesh Agrawal lamented that the government has no interest even when the raw materials — wood and wood-based products — required for manufacturing furniture are decaying and wasted. He urged the government to formulate a policy and invite furniture and furnishing entrepreneurs to attend the auction of wood and wooden items.
Agrawal said if the furniture entrepreneurs are allowed to attend the auction of wood, they will not have to depend on imported raw materials.
On the occasion, Nepal Federation of Furniture and Furnishing Entrepreneurs President Sujil Shrestha urged the government to arrange for entrepreneurs' easy access to wood.
"Despite the availability of raw materials within the country we have to depend on other countries due to the lack of necessary policies," he said. He also urged the businesspersons to improve the quality of the furniture and other products.
Likewise, talking about the increasing business operations without registration," Shrestha said the furniture and furnishing associations in districts should coordinate to solve this problem.
Speaking at the NFFA AGM, Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) President Rajendra Malla said that the chamber was ready to help solve the problems being faced by furniture entrepreneurs. He emphasized the importance of branding the furniture product and making a company logo stating that that there was confusion among consumers about whether the domestically produced items were imported ones.
He stressed digitising the furniture and furnishing business.
NCC President Malla suggested furniture and furnishing entrepreneurs create a working procedure and submit it to the government and lobby to participate in the auction of wood. "As the construction sector has slowed down recently, the furniture and furnishing industry has also declined and everyone should work together to solve the problem," he said.
The businesspersons attending the AGM suggested the government provide policy support for the overall development of the furniture and furnishing sector which provides direct employment to around 150,000 people and greatly contributes to the national economy.
