National Export Strategy to be launched this week

Jul 16, 2018 (LBO) - Sri Lanka is to launch a long-awaited National Export Strategy (NES) later this week on the 19th. "The National Export Strategy (NES) is a fantastic opportunity for the private sector and the government to work together but the success of it will depend entirely on the political will of the incumbent government to drive it forward,"  Harin De Silva, Chairman, Export Association of Sri Lanka (EASL) said. “The private sector cannot get involved in running these things because we run our own businesses,” he added. The National Export Strategy (NES) has been developed by private and public stakeholders through extensive consultations which commenced from the First National Symposium held in April 2017. During these consultations, a strategic vision for Sri Lanka’s export growth was developed: ‘Sri Lanka – An Export Hub driven by Innovation and Investment’. Six priority sectors and four trade support functions (TSF) were identified by the private and public stakeholders at the consultations. These focus on diversification through support to the priority sectors which are ICT, Wellness Tourism, Spice Concentrates, Boat Building, Processed Food & Beverages, and Electronic, Electrical and Machinery. All export sectors including the mature sectors will benefit from the strengthening of trade support functions. These TSFs include National Quality Infrastructure, Innovation and R&D, Logistics and Trade Promotion.