Rupandehi, December 26:

Speaker of the House of Representatives Subhas Chandra Nemwang will inaugurate the 10th edition of National Industrial Exhibition and Tourism Festival here tomorrow in Butwal.

Coordinator of organising committee, Ejaz Alam said the festival would concentrate on promoting home-made products and highlight the slogan of ‘Build a New Nepal’.

The 10-day festival will continue till January 6. Alam said that 355 trading organisations have confirmed their participation. “We are aiming to rope in at least 400 participants in the festival,” he added.

Among the participants, 47 agriculture firms, 47 infotech firms, 47 industrial firms, 47 food-based industry firms, 47 garment companies, 25 hotels, 20 handicrafts firms, 10 technical firms, 10 plasticware firms, 10 construction companies and 10 electronics firms have already confirmed to take part in the trade festival.

There will be the stalls for five automobile firms, 20 leather companies, five non-government organisations and 10 other miscellaneous companies also.

Apart from the industrial groups, troupes of artist will also be performing Nepali folk songs and dances, and modern music. After the end of cultural events, the organiser will also name Pradarshani Idol similar to the Nepali Tara.

The trade festival is being held to create awareness about industrial growth, production and to hold interaction between producers and consumers. The interaction will also focus on luring more tourists to Nepal.

The feedback from the interaction will be presented to the government.

The 10-day long National Industrial Exhibition and Tourism Festival will also promote a tourism package, a trip to Lord Buddha’s birthplace Lumbini. According to the organisers, last year the festival raked in a revenue of Rs 90 million, with 73 trading houses and 2,50,000 people participating in the festival.

This year, the organisers expect a revenue of more than Rs 100 million and more than

0.3 million visitors.

Four rupees from each ticket will be set aside for the construction of a heart hospital in Butwal. Last year, the organisers had collected Rs 4,37,000 for the hospital.