Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe officially assumed duties as the 16th Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) on October 16 at the EDB headquarters. He initially joined Browns & Company 16 years ago.
Upon assuming his new role, Mr. Wijesinghe addressed the staff of the Export Development Board: "We should diversify and focus more on high-tech industries like electronics and pharmaceuticals, similar to what other countries like Singapore and South Korea are doing. We have to focus on that as well. Another important factor is service exports. Last year, service exports recorded $3.1 billion in revenue compared to 2022, reflecting a 69% growth, mainly driven by ICT, logistics, transport, and construction."
"The new government's plan is to achieve $5 billion for ICT industry export revenue by 2030, and we also aim to reach that target. I would like to take this opportunity to highly appreciate the hard work done by my predecessors, especially the past Chairpersons, the Board of Directors, and the staff members."
"Sometimes, we may need to review our National Export Strategy, which was implemented in 2018. Our exporters are facing complex approval processes involving multiple activities. The new government plans to digitalize and interconnect all government institutions and services. With that, I believe we can simplify and speed up these processes."
"We must identify and remove all barriers and impediments that hinder the growth of the export sector and find avenues to encourage exporters."
"We need to increase the number of products in our export basket and the number of exporters to boost our revenue. Therefore, we must align with the government's plan. Hopefully, we can achieve this goal, as the government also aims to increase export revenue, and we must support its efforts."
"We need to pay special attention to three key areas: increasing the current per capita export revenue, improving Sri Lanka's ranking on the ease of doing business index, where we are currently positioned at 99, and achieving an export income of US$ 30 billion by 2030."
"I believe in your commitment, and as a person, I consider myself a team player. We need to work as a team to build a thriving nation."
Before his appointment to the Export Development Board, Mr. Wijesinghe served as the Chief Operating Officer at Browns & Company. He brings with him over 25 years of senior and executive management experience across diverse sectors, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, consumer electronics, industrial engineering solutions, and telecommunications technology.
Mr. Wijesinghe holds a degree in Economics from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Cardiff Metropolitan University. He is also a Chartered Professional Manager in Sri Lanka, with extensive expertise in business management and strategic planning.
Mr. Wijesinghe has been actively involved with both local and international associations related to export development. His appointment as the Chairman of the Export Development Board is regarded as a new beacon of hope for Sri Lanka's export sector, with the potential to bring about significant changes.