The prospects of inclusion of readymade garments and hand-knotted carpets in the Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS) 2010 priority product list, is getting brighter. Despite the two product categories contributing a great share in the country’s overall exports, these items have not been included in NTIS’s list of 19 priority items. Hence, industrialists and exporters have continuously been lobbying for their inclusion in the list.
In view of this lobbying, the ministry of commerce and supplies has decided to hold a mid-term review of NTIS 2010, and is also likely to review its product list. The review would assess and evaluate all the projects undertaken under the NTIS program.
For Nepali financial year that ended on July 15, 2013, the country’s Pashmina exports stood at Rs 2.07 billion, compared to exports of above Rs 1.9 billion in 2011-12. However, exports of most other products included in the NTIS priority list faced decline during the period.
Nepal Trade Integration Strategy 2010 charts a possible course for the development of the country’s export sector over the next three to five years, together with possible capacity development.
