Agra will have new leather park
18/04/2008
The footwear manufacturers of Agra in northern India will soon have a new leather park to help them meet their supply needs and to enable them to present their products to buyers more professionally and effectively.
The state of Uttar Pradesh will invest $50 million in the project, its chief minister, Mayawati Naina Kumari, announced on April 16. She also said that the 4% rate of VAT currently levied on footwear costing up to $10 will be abolished.
Footwear industry leader in Agra, Raj Kumar Sama, said that the removal of the tax would provide a huge relief to the manufacturers in the state.
Once the leather park comes into function, manufacturers would not have to struggle to find a market for their products, he said.
The decision will boost the confidence of shoemakers as well as retailers, he added.The city of Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, has long had a reputation for skilled leather workers and footwear producers, but most businesses have operated on a small scale. This development could help the industry there move to the next level.
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