MUSCAT: Shaikha Aisha bint Khalfan al Siyabiyah, Chairperson of the Public Authority for Craft Industries (PACI), says: “The Sultanate’s celebration of the 15th Omani Craftsman Day underscores the importance of consolidating initiatives in support of the contribution of the national crafts sector in enhancing the sources of income.”
She pointed out in her statement that the activities of the celebration of the 15th Omani Craftsman Day includes the hosting of an international exhibition of handicraft industries in the presence of international participation and the honouring of the winners of the fifth edition of the Sultan Qaboos Craft Excellence Award, where His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Cups will be presented.
She stressed that PACI puts the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to preserve the handicrafts and traditional professions of parents and grandparents and implement them as priority.
She added that PACI is keen to achieve its objectives and follow up the implementation of projects and programmes and initiatives, explaining that the artisanal sector during the year 2018 witnessed a record growth, where the indicators of handcrafted statistics showed a significant increase in the number of craftsmen, adding that by the end of February 2018 the number of craftsmen reached 21,142 with an annual growth rate of more than 8 per cent compared to last year.
She pointed out that the craft projects in various sectors distributed to the governorates of the Sultanate have an institutional role in securing the establishment of the objectives of the Omani artisan sector, adding the number of participants in the Sultan Qaboos Craft Excellence Award at its fifth session reached 620 in various fields of competition, namely Craft Products and Craft Projects.
She added that all the craft centres have been operated to provide skills for craftsmen through the implementation of packages of rehabilitation, training and productivity programmes with 51 programmes, while the number of beneficiaries of the various initiatives implemented by PACI reached 807 craftsmen.
Concerning the protection of the intellectual property of the national crafts, she added that PACI deposited approximately 468 products of handicrafts, including innovative designs for many of the developed crafts, in order to improve the initiatives of PACI in developing craftsmanship, improving craft industries, at the regional and international level with organisations and bodies competent to protect intellectual property rights.
She added that the number of craft licenses granted by PACI for Omani craftsmen witnessed an increase during 2018.
The number of craft projects registered with the Authority reached 231 projects in different governorates of the Sultanate. — ONA
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