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| Tuesday, 10 August 2004 |
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EDB plays pivotal role to increase overall export growth - PM The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) has contributed immensely towards the promotion and development of exports from Sri Lanka for the last 25 years. "It has played a pivotal role to increase overall growth of exports from Sri Lanka, recording and annual average growth rate of 8.3 percent over the last 25 years, said Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse at the silver jubilee celebrations of the EDB at the BMICH last week. The Prime Minister said we should commend the efforts taken by the EDB to recent challenges faced by the export sector in competing in the world market. "The EDB under the guidance of the government implements several strategies to add value to local exports and launch a robust marketing drive to promote Sri Lanka's exports to new heights." "The EDB also has close partnerships with the private sector and this has helped foster producer-exporter linkages and attract the rural SMEs into the mainstream of export development. As policy makers, we are directly committed to develop exports, which plays a major role as a high foreign exchange earner to the country," he said. "The export forum organised by the EDB provides a good opportunity to work together with the export community by solving their problems. The Export Development Council of Ministers (EDCM) will be set up soon and this would promote the export sector. It will be chaired by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Ministers. We should have a strategic alliance with the chambers, private sector and the public sector to formulate long time export-focussed plans," he said. Finance Minister, Dr. Sarath Amunugama said 25 years ago we had a big challenge in the export market with limited resources. After the EDB was established it served their clientele with a high sense of responsibility, promoting competitions for local products and service in the world market. Dr. Amunugama said the government should have strong partnership with the private sector - not only with big industrialists but also SMEs companies. Today over 60 percent of smallholders are directly involved in the tea, rubber, tourists, travel and transportation sectors. The government is committed to strengthen the economy by promoting the export sector and I will present an export- friendly budget in November this year. We will also introduce national policies to develop infrastructure of the main sectors. JAAF President, Ashroff Omar said the four main stakeholders such as government, industry, trade union and funding institutes should develop exports. "Productivity, cost reduction, modernisation, sampling and designing input, supply chain aggressive sale and marketing are key points to be promoted in the industry sector. The government should uplift their policies by introducing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), increasing reciprocity for market access in the region, permanent good infrastructure to products and the service sector specially in ports, airport and power industries," he said. Deputy High Commissioner of India Mohan Kumar said India and Sri Lanka can gain maximum benefits from the Free Trade Agreement by converting to a trade and economic framework agreement. "The Sri Lankan service sector also has to be encouraged to export to India under the FTA agreement. Tariff and non-tariffs are major problems in both countries and each country should negotiate for reduction tariff barriers," he said. EDB Chairman R. Sivaratnam said in the five-year national strategic plan the export sector recorded a 13.9 percent growth in the first quarter of this year. We also forecast an average growth of 15 percent in dollar terms over the next few years. The EDB is keeping abreast with changing conditions in the global market, and reformulating its strategies in order to deliver effective solutions to the export community. (IR) |
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