Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry Tarek Qabil issued a decision to form a committee to list all the handicrafts in Egypt to establish the Chamber of Handicrafts, according to a Monday statement.

The ministry also announced the beginning of registration for membership, and invited business owners to join the chamber. “The formation of the committee reflects the government’s attention to small industries, which have a large social and demographic impact and maintain the state’s national identity and heritage,” Qabil said.

The minister also noted that the committee will follow up on the implementation of establishing the Chamber of Handicrafts and add it to the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI).

In December, Qabil issued a decree to establish a new chamber for the manufacture of handicrafts, adding it to the list of Industrial Chambers at FEI.

The chamber includes the industries of handmade textiles, embroidery, glass and stones products, pottery, porcelain, ceramics, woodwork, metal handicrafts, carpets and handmade kilims, and jewellery, according to Advisor to the Minister for Legislative Affairs Hisham Ragab.

The ministerial decision also demanded that the head of FEI hold elections to choose the chamber’s head and board members, as well as choosing the chamber’s delegates at FEI.

The current structure of FEI will remain unchanged until the end of its period from 2013-2016, at which point the members of the new chambers must participate in electing a new board.