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| Tuesday, 22 February 2005 |
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EDB program to enchance Lanka's competitiveness by Irangika Range Sri Lanka is rated 72 from 104 countries in the "Global Ratings for Competitiveness". The Export Development Board (EDB) has now embarked on an ambitious program to improve Lanka's rating in the next few years by promoting productivity, value addition and competitiveness in the export sector. According to the strategic plans in 2005, the EDB expects to achieve the target of Rs.600 billion with a 20 percent export growth in this year. It has planned to carry out supply development, product development and quality development programs by considering the development of SME's exports and other selected areas such as apparel, tea, rubber, jewellery, spices and kitul. Chairman, EDB Rohantha Athukorala said that Dahas Diriya a Rs.1 billion export incentive scheme which was the budget proposal in the government will benefit Sri Lankan exporters. The scheme is open for all exporters except the exporting black tea in bulk, natural rubber, coconut oil, copra, fresh coconuts, and quartz, frees size gemstones, diamonds, petroleum products, mineral sands, graphite and all types of scrap materials, apparel and any other products and services as decided by the EDB. He said that the new scheme whilst assisting the small and medium scale enterprises will drive exports by Rs.3.5 billion. Under this scheme 15 percent out of the total entitlement paid in cash while the balance of 85 percent will be credited to the export development certificates which is issued by the EDB to encourage the Investment on their export development activities such as improvements of value added productivity, quality improvements and design development, introduction of modern technology and exploration of opportunities," he said. "The EDB will process applications and computerise them so that within three weeks an applicant can receive the funds under the scheme. Applications can be collected from the "Dahas Diriya Counter" at the EDB head office from February 21 onwards," he said. "In order to encourage cinnamon growers and retain them in the industry the EDB has proposed to invest Rs1.5 million with the assistance of the German Technical Corporation by targeting to introduce modern technology to maintain the manufacturing process in a high standard and quality," he said. "Under this project we expect to popularise cinnamon in the world market because it is a major foreign exchange earner to the country. Sri Lanka has already 75 market shares for cinnamon and it has big demand in the Europe and South America," he said. "To build Sri Lanka's image as a major jewellery production center, we have planned to capture the Maldives market. The jewellery collection called "webster" including 56 designs will be displayed at the Maldives. It will be launched USA too in near future. |
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