Sri Lanka's Apex Organisation for Export Promotion
WIFTS Foundation International Visionary Awards 2016 was held at the Millennium Hotel in London UK among a distinguished gathering of international women achievers on 2 July. The Women’s International Film and Television Showcase (WIFTS) is an organisation dedicated to bringing women together from all walks of life through the art form of film and television, business, the humanities and the environment.
The 2016 WIFTS Lifetime Award for Business and Economics was awarded to Indira Malwatte who holds the key post of Chairperson and Chief Executive of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), a vital role in the world business stage. Indira has committed nearly 40 years of her life to export development and promotions both in the state and private sector locally and internationally, with many achievements to her career. The Government of Sri Lanka, considering her unique talents and hands-on experience in the state and private sectors, appointed her as the first female to hold EDB’s top position and to lead Sri Lanka’s export drive in very challenging times.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the diplomatic community consisting of commercial counsellors and honorary consuls of foreign missions to Sri Lanka for a briefing on the World Export Development Forum (WEDF) 2016 to be held in Colombo on 12-13 October.
The meeting was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva, State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe and Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB) Chairperson and Chief Executive Indira Malwatte.
Sri Lanka's Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Mahinda Amaraweera says the locally manufactured boats currently has a high demand in the international market.
According to the Minister, during the past years, Sri Lanka has earned a massive amount of foreign exchange from exportation of boats and vessels. In 2014, Sri Lanka earned Rs. 11.48 billion and Rs. 11.2 billion in 2015 from the vessel exports.
With a large section of Sri Lanka’s tourism being beach-based, the industry in the island nation requires pleasure sail boats and boats for sea excursions for whale/dolphin watching, leisure fishing, snorkelling, scuba diving, etc. This was highlighted at a session held last week to announce the Boat Show & Fisheries Exhibition Sri Lanka 2016 scheduled to take place from October 13 to 15 at the Dickowita Fishery Harbour, Colombo.
It was also noted that Sri Lanka has a coastal shore-line of 1,340kms and a large inland water mass consisting of lagoons, lakes, reservoirs etc. There are 13 major fishery harbours, 15 anchorages and 1,053 landing sites on the coastal belt. However, the full potential of the ocean is yet to be utilized and ideal water front lands for development of marinas and boat yards are available around the island.
With the recent launch of the WEDF 2016 to be held in Sri Lanka in October, the EDB has taken a bold step towards creating a true sense of the word of Public, Private Partnership.
Several leading professionals who have been invited from national chambers and product associations to steer various “action groups” have been appointed to head six different Committees tasked to map strategies and plan all aspects of arrangements to successfully hold the 2 day conclave which is the 16th edition of the WEDF.
The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and has the honour to inform the esteemed Ministry that the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has started to register and authorize Foreign Slaughterhouses, Manufactures of meat, poultry and fish products as well as the Production Facilities of all kind of other Food items which interested to exports their products to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Daily FT-MTI Thought Leadership Forum on Sri Lanka exports, titled ‘Sri Lanka’s Export Challenges,’ confronted the brutal reality of reasons behind Sri Lanka’s stagnant export growth, while evaluating its future with radical strategic options.
The well-attended forum saw a large number of industry leaders, exporters and investors. The forum featured a key presentation by MTI CEO Hilmy Cader on ‘Sri Lanka Exports — Confront Reality. Think Strategic. Or?’ which was highly commended by all stakeholders.
