Exporters to achieve US $ 10 b target

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The exporters of Sri Lanka are confident of maintaining the positive trend in the export growth regardless of poor European and the USA economic conditions.

The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka is working hard to maintain 30 percent growth month on month basis and to reach US$ 10 billion export target by April next year, National Chamber of Exporters Sri Lanka President Sarath de Silva told Daily News Business.

The exporters are given the required encouragement and with the NCE celebrating 25 years and the scheduled national exporters? awards ceremony the exporting community will be further motivated to achieve higher performance, he said.

The export strategy will focus on increasing productivity and turnover thereby achieving volume growth to facilitate more exports. Sri Lanka will concentrate more on markets in India and China with high emphasis on regional countries.

The NCE will arrange several export community delegations to India and China and Pakistan to further improve and strengthen trade relationships.

“These three countries account for one third of the world population and we have readily available markets where the country could benefit. The improved trade opportunities could off-set any imbalance that may arise from the trade loss in European and the USA,” he said.

The potential for growth in agriculture, expansion of deep sea and inland fisheries and peace dividends are some of the positive factors that exporters could exploit and work towards reaching the targets.

The correct fiscal policies and single digit interest rates could be put into full use within the next six months to record volume growths.

The exporters should take counter measures to overcome negative publicity which threaten to destabilize the peace and harmony in the country.

“The country could look forward to benefit from the collective action taken by the exporters to highlight the positive side negating bad publicity,” de Silva said.