The Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry initiated a stakeholders meeting on 20th December, 2023 at the BCCI PSDC boardroom with representatives from Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives, Department of Trade, Department of Forest and Park Services, Bhutan Food and Drug Authority, President and Secretary General of BCCI, General Secretary of Bhutan Exporters Association (BEA), and President of Association of Wood-Based Industry (AWBI) to discuss on issues associated with wooden boxes and its way forward. A few exporters and sawmillers also joined the meeting virtually through zoom.
This meeting served as a continuation of the discussions held in prior meetings to consult towards promoting use of locally produced wooden boxes for export of apple and mandarin particularly. The discussion commenced with a reminder from the President, BCCI highlighting that the key parties, AWBI and BEA, had reached an agreement. Furthermore, it was emphasized that a total of 21 exporters/parties had entered into an agreement with a comprehensive understanding of the legal responsibilities and risks associated should they be unable to fulfill their respective obligations.
This initiative is a move towards promoting economic use of local resources that we have within the country. Moreover, it is about providing opportunities to several wood-based units within to sustain their long-term operations.