ATPO to organize three fairs to promote trade: Minister Bimal Borah

GUWAHATI: State Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises Minister Bimal Borah said that the Assam Trade Promotion Organization would organize three fairs in the financial year 2023-24. Out of three fairs, one fair will be regional to accommodate participants from the entire north-eastern region, one international fair to tap the export opportunities and one fair exclusively for entrepreneurs from Assam.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati today, the minister said, "Northeast India shares a long border with the South East Asian countries and this has immense trade opportunities. For promotion of these emerging opportunities, the Indian Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), the premier trade promotion organization under the flagship of Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has set up the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre in Guwahati. The government, with a view to manage the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre and all future Trade Centres of the State had formed a company on February 17, 2009 and named it as the Assam Trade Promotion Organization (ATPO), as approved by the Register of Companies. Assam Trade Promotion Organization is a non- profit self-sustaining company registered under Section 25 of Companies Act, 1956 under administrative control of Industries, Commerce & Public Enterprise Department, Government of Assam. ATPO's main objectives is to promote, organize, manage and participate in trade, fairs and exhibitions to enhance trade in the north-eastern region."

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on exhibition industry has been unprecedented. Many private parties have cancelled their regular fairs and some are still reluctant to organize fairs resulting in lack of trade opportunities for the local MSME units. In order to help the local MSMEs, it was decided that ATPO would organize trade fairs/ expo at different occasions for the benefit of the local MSME units. Accordingly, ATPO proposed to organize two trade fairs in the financial year 2022-23, he said.

ATPO had organized 'ATPO Nalbari Trade Expo 2022' in November during Shri Shri Hari Mandir Raax Festival, Nalbari. The participants of Nalbari Trade Expo had done business worth more than Rs 1 crore, he said. "ATPO will organize the ATPO International Winter Expo 2022 from December 23, 2022 to January 5, 2023 in association with National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and Industries, Commerce & Public Enterprise Department, Government of Assam. Around 150 MSME units,11 Start Ups, Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART), CFC (Common facility Centre, Assamese jewellery), NEDfi (North Eastern Development Finance Corporation), Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET) will participate in the expo. There will also be international participants from Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan," said Borah.

To promote tourism, export and commerce, the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh and Royal Bhutanese Consulate General have also given their consent to participate in the expo as there is huge scope for trade with these neighboring countries, he said.

"Assam Trade Promotion Organization is also planning to organize three fairs in the financial year 2023-24. Out of three fairs one fair will be regional to accommodate participants from entire north-eastern region, one international fair to tap the export opportunities and one fair exclusively for entrepreneurs from Assam," said the minister.

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