Craftsman in Kandy

Founded in March 2004 and based in Kandy, NCHSL is a private sector association of craftsmen and women who have come together to uplift their business, while maintaining the traditions of Sri Lankas handicraft industry.

NCHSL is also based on the chamber movement in Sri Lanka, with its culture of working together to achieve common goals. It is open to all companies island-wide wich are engaged in the prodution of handicraft items.

Above all, the chamber is a self-organizing body, where members engage actively by meeting regularly to discuss common issues and plan their activities.

The main objectives of NCHSL are:

• To promote, develop, safeguard, assist, project and maintain the handicraft industry and its tradition.
• To organize local member groups to strive towards enhancing the quality of handicraft production and productivity, quality, improvement, technology transfer, marketing.
• To popularize and promote handicraft products in the domestic market and the global market.
• To represent the handicraft sector on policy matters and lobbying of such matters.

Leather workers in a workshop

NCHSL offers a variety of services to its now roughly 200 member companies, such as:

• To assist members through training programs to upgrade their knowledge and skills in relation to the Handicraft Industry.
• Providing marketing opportunities to members products, be it by organising sales shows, taking part in trade fairs or establishing relations with overseas customers
• Providing raw materials and financing options for craftsmen and women who lack the essential working capital
• Setting up of local groups of craftsmen and women (nuclei) of identical sectors to solve their specialized problems

NCHSL is a member of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL). It is a partner of Handwerkskammer Koblenz (Chamber of Skilled Crafts), Germany and financially supported by the German Government through SEQUA and GTZ.