The Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity, Simona Bucura – Oprescu, says that Romanian crafts and producers must be supported in a concrete way, with funding to attract and train the workforce, but also to ensure their presence at international fairs.

According to a post on the Ministry’s Facebook page, the head of the Ministry of Labour visited the Tapel company, a 100% Romanian family business in Sibiu, the only one in the country that still produces leather and leather goods.

„I was impressed by the quality and beauty of the products I found in the factory in Sibiu, where only 20 people work. This place reconfirms the fact that the skill of Romanians remains an asset that can always put us at the top of international rankings, but which, unfortunately, we do not support enough and which we do not know how to exploit in our interest. The Romanian state must be more involved, both in supporting small but authentic producers, by buying their products or ensuring their presence at international fairs, and in reviving crafts, by adequately supporting those who still practice them successfully. I have asked my colleagues in the Ministry of Labour to think of projects and identify financing through European funds, through which we can develop this sector of trades and crafts,” said Simona Bucura – Oprescu.

The products obtained in the Sibiu factory are mainly leather goods, and the raw material is processed by companies with a tradition in leather processing and stainless steel accessories. Due to the quality and variety of the products, over 60 percent of the production is exported, and in Romania their products are sold online and in some retail stores.

AGERPRES