Sri Lanka's Apex Organisation for Export Promotion
The Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade in collaboration with the Export Development Board (EDB) organized the 11th Exporters Forum at the EDB Auditorium on 18th July 2017.
The EDB, with the assistance of the Sri Lanka High Commission in UK, organised a Technical Training and Exposure Programme for the Rubber Products Sector, at Tun Abdul Razake Research Center (TARRC), UK from June 13 to 16, for eleven representatives (technically qualified) from leading companies manufacturing and exporting rubber products including an officer from the Rubber Research Institute in Sri Lanka.
Delegates comprising seven sourcing directors who represent five companies in Oman on the initiation of the EDB and in coordination with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Oman most of whom own Hypermarket chains had B2B meetings with 45 Sri Lankan exporters ......
The EDB organised a seminar in association with the Export Product Associations on ‘Renewed Opportunities in EU Market’ with the objective of making the Sri Lankan export community aware of the opportunities under the EU GSP+ concessions when exporting to European Region.
The Export Development Board (EDB) organised Sri Lanka’s participation at the ‘SIAL Canada 2017’ from 2-4 May in Toronto Canada in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Consulate in Toronto and the Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada.
Sri Lanka Export Development Board of Sri Lanka (EDB) with the assistance of Sri Lanka Embassy in Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japan Information Technology Services Industry Association (JISA) is organising a seminar on Sri Lanka IT in Tokyo on 9 May and participating at Japan IT Week 2017 from 10-12 May at Tokyo big sight, Japan.
The Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) conducted the first national symposium for Sri Lanka’s National Export Strategy (NES) with more than 150 public and private sector representatives to plan the next export growth cycle of the country.
Following is the message by Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama, delivered to mark Sri Lanka’s First National Export Strategy Symposium held at the Temple Trees.
Steps will be taken to amend the Food Act to suit the present times and also support the food processing industry which has enormous potential, State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe told the 10th Exporters Forum at the Export Development Board (EDB) recently.
The Minister was responding to issues raised by meat processors with regard to the excessive time taken to test the quality of food before processing for exports. He said it is time to amend the Food Act which is around 30 years old. The time taken to complete the tests and then process food is too long. It should be done within 10 days as in other countries. “A meeting comprising stakeholders of the food processing industry and quality certifying institutions will be held shortly to solve the issue,” the Minister said.
The Government is preparing to revamp entreport schemes for re-exporting key spices from Sri Lanka including pepper, cloves, nutmeg and mace to protect Sri Lanka’s reputation for quality while banning cinnamon imports.
The proposal spearheaded by the Primary Industries Ministry has already received Cabinet approval and aims to put in place several fresh policies to ensure that spices re-exported from Colombo port are not diluted or incorrectly labelled as originating from Sri Lanka.
Jeevani Siriwardena has been appointed the new Director General of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB).
She joined EDB as a Management Trainee in 1984. She counts over 20 years of experience at EDB in Product Management and over 10 years in the Market Development Divisions of EDB.
She handled the product and market development activities of the apparel export sector during its early growth phase and also led the development activities of the other industrial and agricultural product sectors.
Siriwardena has led several overseas marketing missions involving the private sector while also being a part of a number of presidential business delegations. She has extensive foreign market exposure, including in countries such as the US, Europe, South Africa, Japan, China and India. She also served as the Officer in Charge of the EDB-initiated Sri Lanka Trade Centre in Chennai for 15 months.
For a span of two years she worked as a visiting lecturer at the University of Colombo, prior to joining EDB.
She obtained a Bachelor of Commerce Special Degree (second class) in 1982 and a Master’s in Business Studies (Merit) from the University of Colombo. She is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.
Siriwardena had her primary education in Matara where her father served as the AGA and then entered University from Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo where she obtained colours for tennis and won the national junior and juvenile silver medal for badminton.
At Colombo University she got colours for tennis, badminton and table tennis and captained the men’s and women’s tennis team of the University of Colombo in 1982, winning the Inter-University Challenge Trophy.
