The NES has demonstrated a healthy growth phase during its reporting period. In 2018 the NES was supported by 105 activities, which increased to 148 by 2019. Achieving an overall increase in implementation support by 22.8%.
The IT/BPM sector continues to lead with 20 activities carried out in the sector. The success of the IT/BPO sector is driven by the continuation of the IT Initiative, a Rs. 300Mn project aimed at propelling the IT/BPO sector as the number one foreign exchange earner of the country. In 2018, the ICT/BPM unveiled a national brand with a tagline, “Island of Ingenuity” (IoI), which highlighted the ability of Sri Lankan Information Technology (IT) companies to deliver top quality solutions on a global scale. In 2019 this branding activity was developed further by the ‘IOI Ambassador Program.’ Another notable initiative under the IT Initiative is the ‘Champion Builder’ program, which assists 2nd tier IT firms break into new global markets through a well-designed and well-governed business plans.
The NQI sector also had significant growth during the reporting period. The sector currently has the highest Plan of Action (PoA) coverage, with 57% of support received for their sector activities (Figure 3). This sector was strongly supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) via the EU-Sri Lanka Trade Related Assistance Project. The project contributes to NES implementation by building the capacity of MUSSD, the introduction of new CAB accreditations, increase the participation of SLSI in international technical committees, and establishing the National Quality Council (NQC).
Implementation support for NES sectors
Number of supported NES activities by sector/TSF
Zooming in to the thematical areas of the supported activities in sectors, it is evident that export quality certification and standards have received a notable emphasis. (Figure 5). This is strongly interlinked with the healthy growth of the NQI sector. The NES also shows a focus on the implementation of policy and regulatory reforms. Below is a brief description of several key policy reforms supported during 2019.
Thematic areas of focus of the NES
