Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) EDU Business Development Officer Jennifer Julien-Laudat has said that the high cost of craft materials and expensive transportation are among the many challenges faced by the craft sector in Dominica and the region.
Those hindrances, according to an OECS report, also include poor packaging and an Asian-producing craft population.
Julien-Laudat, speaking at a press conference recently, said that more young craftsmen also need to come on board.
“What happens, as these people get older and can no longer do this craft? …. We have over 27 percent of these people over 55 years. So we now have to start looking at … what we need to do to attract this people,” she stated.
“The product…seem to be very high priced and why, there are various elements feeding into the pricing of the product so where you have high production costs, high duties on raw materials, it just culminates to that high price of the product. So if there is a high price product then it makes it more difficult in the market,” she said.
She added that studies are being done to help remedy the situation.
“Poor packaging: you may have a good product but if your packaging is poor then someone will not want to take a second look. As they go through, they see all the cheap products being sold by the vendors and the inconsistent pricing along distribution chain, and this brings us to the craft producers and the vendors,” she said.
“The down side again, we have complicated and extensive transportation and logistics in the region and it’s not news to anyone of us but we do know that a number of fronts there are studies being done to see how this can be tackled and alleviated,” she stated.
Improvement is needed in our packaging (make it more attractive and eyecatching), our product quality, our presentation and display of items (dont just pack things on a table, be creative) and our service. I was looking at a ladys products and asking questions about them one day. The lady asked me if I was buying and I said no. She said “so you not buying and you asking so many questions”? I left and went to another stall to inquire about their products. Later that day I returned to purchase the other stalls products. The difference? It was the service.simple.
what do you expect? A thriving craft sector when 80% of the craft and souvenir sold in Roseau comes from China already printed made in Dominica. Unless this fledgling industry is protected we will soon be importing Carib/kalinago craft from China too.
high duty on raw materials… gov’t is double taxing its citizens… tax you on raw materials.. then tax again on the finished product at the point of sale… over taxation hinders a growing economy