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by Ravi Ladduwahetty

The Government acknowledges, recognises and appreciates the role of the export sector which is vitally linked to the vigour and the vitality of the Sri Lankan economy as a whole.

This point does not need to be laboured because as much as 30 percent of Sri Lanka's GDP is accounted for by the revenue from the exports, Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy, Investment Promotion and Constitutional Affairs Prof. G. L. Peiris said yesterday.

Prof. Peiris was addressing the launch of the program of advisory committees of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board and the formulation of National Export Development Plan 2003 - 2008. Prof. Peiris said; "There are two basic themes underpinning this occasion. One of which is connected to the Advisory Committees, which are more statutory committees in terms of the legislation governing the Sri lanka Export Development Board. The second is the presentation of the National Export Development Plan which is crucial for the export sector.

The Government acknowledges, recognises and appreciates the role of the export sector which is vitally linked to the vigour and the vitality of the Sri Lankan economy as a whole. This point does not need to be laboured because as much as 30 percent of Sri Lanka's GDP is accounted for by the revenue from the exports.

This, in actual terms is about Rs.5.5 bi1lion in terms of earnings. Now this recognition of the importance of the export sector is not merely lip service. That is reflected in every aspect of the formulation and the implementation of the Government's policy.

What we are trying to develop is not a bureaucratic machinery but a symbiotic relationship with the private sector on one hand and the administrative machinery on the other.

Prof. Peiris said that the presentation of Sri Lanka's public policy has been the weakness ever since Sri Lanka attained independence. India had the vision of Pundit Nehru who stressed the importance of coherent, long term planning which was one of the cornerstones of Indian public policy soon after the attainment of independence from the British. Pundit Nehru was instrumental in formulating three, year, five plans, rolling plans which were instrumental in the integration into a consistent, coherent and long term plan. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has been running in for the formulation of ad-hoc planning, where the solutions have been essentially short term.

This brings more serious problems which has resulted in a proliferation of additional problems because of the absence at the centre of a coherent national policy worked in a continuing time frame. This has been the fundamental deficiencies of the public policy in Sri Lanka.

Prof. Peris said that the formulation of the five-year export development plan and the endeavour was salutary corrective to that perceived weakness. There is a seriousness of purpose. Commenting on the appointment of the 17 statutory committees he said that there was a clear sense of complimentality. He said that the Ministry was doing a SWAT analysis to assess the needs and the expectations from the Ministry. There is a substantial overlap in the committees that we have set up in our Ministry and also the committees, which have been set up under the aegis of the EDB.

Prof. Peiris, stressing on competitiveness and value addition, said, "When you look at the sectors individually the problems and the priorities of each sector is different.

For example in the leather and the footwear sector, there was certain anomalies in the tariff structures. The Ministry received a large number of complaints from the private sector and issues were addressed. Prof. Peiris also stressed on the brand marketing program for the gem and jewellery sector. He said, "Some of the largest importers of this product range have begun to look at Sri Lanka.

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