Sri Lanka's Apex Organisation for Export Promotion
Sri Lanka has garnered more than $4.6 Mn orders at the recently concluded Kunming Int’l Fair in China-and this too is only from the initial overview of Kunming outcomes rather than any in-depth totals. “I am pleased of the performance of the delegation of 119 companies and businesses that I led to Kunming. I commend EDB for this successful facilitation effort” said a satisfied Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka) on 31 July in Colombo.
Sri Lanka has identified several key areas for investment opportunities to offer to the attendants of the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) that will coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka from 15th to 17th November, 2013.
The Commonwealth Business Forum will be held from 12th to 14th November at the Hotel Cinnamon Grand in Colombo.
The Forum, organized by the Commonwealth Business Council(CBC) in collaboration with the Sri Lankan government, is seen as a great opportunity for Sri Lanka to enlighten the world about the investment potentials in the island.
With bilateral trade crossing $ 4 billion, a new chapter has opened in Indo-Lanka trade ties with the first ever Joint Task Force (JTF) coming into play.
Strong signs of greater Indian market access for Lankan exporters and prompt resolution of trade barriers for them are the other developments in this new turn. “We are working to boost bilateral trade to $ 10 billion and as trade ties have improved greatly, the new understanding reached between both countries is a good sign for our bilateral trade future,” said Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka on June 25 in Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s exports sector has clinched a triple win for 2014 1st half (January-June) –a first time event.
“Latest reports are good news for our $20B goal therefore we should commend our committed exporters for this achievement” said Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka onMonday (28) in Colombo.
Minister Bathiudeen was responding to Bandula Egodage, Chairman/CE-EDB who briefed him of the latest provisional export revenues.
As Sri Lanka-Japan bilateral trade jumped $890 Mn and edged to $ 900 Mn mark, a keen Japan signalled towards a Lanka-Japan FTA for the first time-albeit with a qualifier. “In terms of country risk and future potential, I believe Sri Lanka is quite promising. We consider that FTA and EPAs as very useful means to promote trade. Mere conclusion of FTAs alone is not sufficient for better trade however. What is important is to develop a very robust foundation here” said a confident Kazuyoshi Akaba, the visiting Japanese Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI) on 28 July in Colombo.
Japanese Minister Akaba was responding to Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka) on 28 July during his bilateral session with the Sri Lankan team led by Minister Bathiudeen at Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Colombo 3.
A session on ‘Bilateral Trade between Sri Lanka and France’ organised by the National Chamber of Commerce was held with the participation of Ambassador of France Jean Paul Monchau, as a Special Guest Speaker and assisted by Commercial Counsellor of the Trade Section of the Embassy Jean Louis POLI, at the Chamber, last week. Additionally Government senior officials- Director General Commerce, Director General, Export Development Board and Board of Investment graced the occasion.
Enterprising Fairs India Limited, a B2B exhibition company from India, has collaborated with the Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka (PRISL), to conduct their second edition of Sri Lanka Plast – a Plastics Expo and the first edition of Rubexpo – a Rubber Expo on 14, 15 and 16 August 2014 at BMICH, Colombo. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC), Export Development Board (EDB), Industrial Development Board (IDB), Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka (RRISL) and Central Institute of Plastics and Engineering Technology, a government body of India (CIPET) have also extended their support to these B2B exhibitions.
Sri Lanka's boatbuilding capability for international markets will be further showcased when the Boat Show and Fisheries Exhibition 2014 will be held at the Dickowita Fisheries Harbour from 10-12 October.
Also coinciding with this event will be the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) regional parley, which will be held at the Pegasus Reef Hotel, also from 10-12 October. Both events will be hosted by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB) in collaboration with the Boat Building Technology Improvement Institute (BTI) and the Building A Future (BAF) Foundation.
South Asia’s premier boat show and fisheries exhibition, ‘Boat Show 2014’ organized by Boat Building Technology Improvement Institute (BTI), Sri Lanka Export Development Board and Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services will take centre stage from October10 to12 at the Dickowita Fishery Harbour.
The theme of the event is ‘Promotion of Leisure Boating in Sri Lanka’.
The main objective of the event is to attract buyers from all corners of the globe, while positioning Sri Lanka as the hub for the industry in South Asia and to develop a forum between buyers and sellers to facilitate industry growth. The main feature of this year’s event will be the meeting of the International Marina Group of the ICOMIA, concentrating on the promotion of marina development and the development of leisure boating tourism.
‘Preparations for CHOGM. Colombo was a busy hive of activity. We were wondering if infrastructure for that event could be completed. It was done. No problem. It was a substantial undertaking of deft organization; of things falling into place. Of every little detail being
observed and the main event worked off with clinical attention to detail, said Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka Jean-Paul Monchau recently, talking to the business community and the press at the National Chamber of Commerce auditorium.
For the first time, the Export Development Board has entered WTO, UNCTAD, ITCs benchmark of global export agencies and finished among the top ten. EDB has come to the sixth spot among 30 national trade promotion organisations across the world, benchmarked by the International Trade Centre under WTO and UNCTAD. EDB's score in 2012 study is above average and the next level to move is 80% "High level TPO Performance" category and then, finally to 100% -what we call "world class".
"EDB has done quite well in International Trade Centre's 2012 Lanka EDB benchmarking test. EDB has come to sixth spot among 30 national trade promotion organisations across the world, benchmarked by us-the International Trade Centre under WTO and UNCTAD" said Geneva based Martin Labbe (Senior Officer, Trade Support Institutions Strengthening, International Trade Centre, Switzerland) in Colombo addressing the inaugural session of the four day "Performance Improvement Roadmap for Sri Lanka's EDB by ITC" at the EDB Auditorium, Colombo.
Cinnamon could be a secret weapon in the battle against Parkinson’s disease. Scientists have found that the spice is the source of a chemical that can protect the brain.
Our liver converts cinnamon into sodium benzoate, an approved drug used in the treatment for neural disorders.
In a study of mice at Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago, a team of researchers found that the chemical then enters the brain, stops the loss of proteins that help protect cells, protects neurons and improves motor functions.
SLASSCOM says untapped potential lies outside Fortune 500 firms Sri Lanka has witnessed a brisk growth in export revenue in the field of Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT/BPM) with revenue for 2013 estimated to have increased to US$ 720 million from US$ 605 million in 2012 and projected to rise to US $850 million by end this year. According to a recent industry report by the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM), the primary IT/BPO business association in Sri Lanka, the industry has shown an impressive revenue growth trend of about 238% since year 2007 whilst total employment grew from 33,700 in 2007 to an estimated 75,100 employees in 2013, and the number of companies in the industry grew from 170 in 2007 to over 220 in 2013.
The UAE government announced the lifting of the ban on Sri Lanka's export of chicken and eggs to the UAE market with immediate effect. UAE had previously imposed a blanket ban on Asian countries including Sri Lanka, covering the export of chicken meat and eggs due to Notifiable Avian Influenza (NAI).
Sri Lanka made a presentation to the Animal and Agricultural Affairs of the UAE Water and Environment Ministry to lift the ban as Sri Lanka is now free of Avian Influenza.
Industry and Commerce Ministry Commerce Department officials took up the matter through the Sri Lanka Consulate General in Dubai and submitted the documents with the support of the Department of Animal Production and Health, Peradeniya and the Industry stakeholders to UAE authorities to prove that Sri Lanka is now free of Avian Influenza.
The first-ever Sri Lanka-Belarus official trade talks commenced in Colombo yesterday amidst avowed assertions from both sides towards forging sustainable trade links while making inroads to the huge ‘New Asian’ and upcoming Eurasian Union markets. The first Colombo talks have now paved the way for a prospective future visit of the President of Belarus to Sri Lanka.
“I am pleased to note that Belarus is Sri Lanka’s first gateway to the promising EEU new single market. Our Free Trade Agreements with Pakistan and India have opened gateways to a South Asian market of 1.2 billion. Equally important is Sri Lanka’s forthcoming FTA with China. Therefore, we invite you to partner with Sri Lanka and take advantage of the new Asian opportunity,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen on 9 July in Colombo.
First ever bilateral trade meet between Sri Lanka and a key member of upcoming Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) starts tomorrow 09 July in Colombo. “Our newest trade effort with Balarus strengthens the historic relations and more importantly, gives us direct access to the world’s newest single economic market” said Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka) onTuesday (08).
Minister Bathiudeen was in discussions with his officials on the first ever Sri Lanka-Belarus Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation to be held in Colombo on 9-10 July with the participation of Valentin B. Rybakov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Belarus. Deputy Minister Rybakov arrived in Sri Lanka Tuesday (08) leading a 20 member strong official delegation of the Government of Belarus, for this historic trade meeting.
A successful business forum from Sri Lanka consisting of 40 business leaders led by Deputy Minister of External Affairs, Sri Lanka Neomal Perera, who himself is a business leader completed a successful forum interacting with business leaders, L.R. Group, Sri Lanka-Asia Chamber of Commerce and the community on various aspects including tourism, hi-tech, water, energy, medical, apparel, employment, agriculture, greenhouse cultivation, dairy, fish, flowers, diamonds, gems, jewellery, rubber, education and other topics suggested by prospective delegates.
Sri Lanka in a bid to achieve its $ 20 B export target by 2020, handed over on July 01, the task of producing an initial way forward blueprint by August to an international consultancy firm.
“Today we are launching the first step of EDB’s Strategic Plan creation which aims to achieve $ 20 Bn by 2020. Hilmy’s enormous experience and expertise will definitely enhance the total process of EDB in a positive way” said Bandula Egodage (Chairman/CEO, EDB) addressing the session on July 01.. He further said, " We also thank VEGA USAID for the contribution towards this initiative. We all know that our national target is $ 20 Bn by 2020 but there is a big mismatch-our current export strategic plan ends in 2015 and there is a strategy gap from 2015-2020; We are launching today’s initiative to bridge this gap and draw the plan till 2020 to complete this in a professional and a focused way.”
The Hashemite Kingdom wants to renew its trade with Sri Lanka-with no less than a Joint Commission meet at its end. “Let us now get really practical. It is time to activate 2007 Agreement and start vigorous bilateral trade. We are open to all suggestions from Sri Lanka” said a keen Ambassador Hassan Al Jawarneh (Delhi based Ambassador of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to Sri Lanka) on 01 July in Colombo.
Just as the US demand for Lankan handlooms surged, an international design expert called on 30 June the country to further strengthen its design and promotion capacities-and Sri Lanka’s handloom designs continue to have a special identity.
“Sri Lanka has been known for its handloom textiles. Sri Lanka, rather than moving into fast fashion handloom cycles, can elevate its special handlooms brand by building competence and international promotion efforts” said Jennifer Shellard (Visiting Lecturer, Woven Textile Department of London’s University of Creative Arts) on 30 June in Colombo.
