EDB survey on ICT services export

Anjana SAMARASINGHE

SURVEY: The Export Development Board (EDB) of Sri Lanka will conduct an export value survey on ICT services exports in the country.

A senior official of EDB told Daily News that there is no export value survey done in the ICT export sector in Sri Lanka and there is a necessity of having an export value survey in the industry.

The survey will help the ICT sector to have a clear idea of the industry and to identify its contribution towards the country’s economy.

The survey will also help EDB to organise its future promotional activities in exporting ICT services and finally to develop the industry.

Many IT professional bodies, associations and chambers attempted to have an ICT export value survey but nobody was successful.

It is difficult to collect necessary details since it is an export of services and no sufficient records are available related to ICT exports. Some ICT companies are BOI approved companies and data available with the BOI is not sufficient, he said.

The EDB has already called proposals from independent audit firms to carry out the export value survey. The selected firm needs to gather confidential data from the individual ICT export companies.

The model of the survey needs to be developed according to the global standards and need to acceptable by EDB.

These firms have to submit their proposals before the end of this month.

EDB expects to complete the survey soon as possible, he said. “We have noticed a huge boom in ICT companies involved in exports in Sri Lanka. the official said.