The Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality (SEPI) Idelta Maria Rodrigues said the reason why many people are not likely to buy original Timorese Tais is because they are too expensive.
She urged tais weaving groups to think about the price of tais because many potential customers often complain about the prices.
“Sometimes I ask that everyone uses tais in important functions or celebrations but they often say they prefer to buy second hand clothes from clothes recycling shops and stalls because tais are too expensive. Even the cost for weaving a tais is very expensive,” said SE SEPI Rodrigues, in Dili.
She noted there aren’t standard prices for traditional products like tais but that sellers need to think about pricing if they want to attract customers. “Otherwise people will prefer to buy second hand cloths rather than buying tais.”
She said also that is the prices for tais continues to increase, even foreigner won’t buy tais anymore.
The Secretary of State for Industry and Cooperatives Filipus Nino Pereira said the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Cooperative and Environment in cooperation with some Indonesian trainers have provided training for women group’s managers on how to look at production costs when determining the price of products.
“So that people don’t just double the price of production costs,” said SE Pereira.
Meanwhile the Coordinator of a local tais weaving women’s group, the Miserable Mothers Love and Women group Coordinator Adelina Freitas said the price they have for Timor tais is fair because the materials they use to weave the tais are expensive and it takes a long time to weave a tais.
“Tais for men and women cost upwards of $30. Scarfs cost under $20 and accessories, wallets and bags are under $10 but this is because the materials are expensive especially the threads,” she said.
