'SL foot and leather industry must target niche products'
Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI
Sri Lanka foot and leather industry must target niche products with
good design, product development, fast delivery, high quality and
competitive price, International Consultant Peter Racklyeft said at a
capacity building programme for foot wear and leather products
manufacturing sector in Sri Lanka at Galadari Hotel yesterday.
He said Sri Lanka is a good market which could target 15 million
pairs of shoes accounting to two pairs per person but has to fight with
reduction of imports and expansion of export market.
Industrial Development Board Chairman Udayasiri Kariyawasam said that
foot wear and leather products sector employs about 20,000 people
directly and indirectly and 1,248 foot wear and leather products
manufacturing enterprises are currently in operation in the country.
However this sector is not enjoying an adequate share in the global
market although a great potential exists for the industry. Therefore the
sector requires enhanced technical skills and up-to-date training
facilities to sustain their competitiveness in the volatile global
market environment.
The industrial development board of Ceylon (IDB) is collaborating
with the commonwealth secretariat, UK to implement a technical
assistance programme with a view to strengthen the Sri lanka’s leather
goods and foot wear sector. A new initiative has been launched to bring
together the key stakeholders involved in manufacturing of leather goods
and footwear,suppliers of raw material and accessories and providing
training and other services to the industry in one forum.
"The proposed project is in line with the broader national objectives
of Sri Lanka in the post war economic development process and will
contribute to the development of the industry through building capacity
of SME's to meet the global challenge in the footwear and leather goods
market," Kariyawasam said. |