Africa-Press – Angola. Craftsman Edmar Andrade defended this Monday, in Dundo, Lunda Norte province, the implementation of a rawhide processing operations factory and by extension (tannery), in the country, taking into account the high costs in import of raw material.
Speaking to the press, on the sidelines of the first edition of Expo-Dundo, held from the 12th to the 16th of this month, in the city of Dundo, as part of the festivities marking the 45th anniversary of the existence of the province of Lunda Norte, the craftsman said that the lack of a tannery has caused considerable damage to the artists, taking into account the difficulties in obtaining foreign exchange for the acquisition of the raw material abroad.
He said that currently, most Angolan artisans get the raw material in Namibia and South Africa, at 80 US dollars/foot.
“The country has a considerable animal population, whose skin should be used for making shoes and other derivatives, if we had a tannery factory, like the one in Benguela province”, he stressed.
The last tannery that existed in the country, specifically in the province of Benguela, closed in 1999.
The craftsman from Benguela province said that if the Executive succeeds in overcoming the current difficulties in terms of local production of the raw material, the profession will gain another direction and there will be greater export of shoes, backpacks and other accessories.
He said that as a result of the new techniques and training acquired abroad, he no longer produces shoes with only dry soles, he also uses orthopedic material, which guarantees better quality of the final product of art produced in Angola.
According to Edmar Andrade, the commitment, dedication and quality of work led him to win several prizes, with emphasis on the Luanda International Fair, in 2004, including awards at the National Production Fair, in 2007, Expo Cuanza Norte and Uíge.
O artesão produz calçados, chinelas, mochila, cinto, entre outros produtos.
A Expo teve uma duração de cinco dias e decorreu na Praça Samanhonga, no “coração” da cidade do Dundo, onde 292 expositores dos mais variados sectores da actividade económica mostraram o que a província tem de melhor.
Sob o lema “Lunda-Norte, Prosperidade, Agricultura como factor Decisivo para o Desenvolvimento”, o evento que contou com 292 expositores, visou relançar, dinamizar e proporcionar oportunidades, sobretudo nos sectores da agricultura, restauração, telecomunicações e comércio.
Para além dos empresários locais, o certame contou com a participação de empreendedores das províncias de Benguela, Cuanza Norte, Luanda, Cabinda, Uige, Malanje, Lunda Sul e Moxico.
The areas of agriculture, livestock, fisheries, banking, insurance, commerce, extractive industry, transport, arts and telecommunications dominated the exhibition, which received more than six thousand visitors.
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