EDB hosts 15th Exporters’ Forum to mediate private sector trade issues
The 15th edition of the Exporters’ Forum, hosted at the Export Development Board (EDB) auditorium on August 14, 2018, was held as a platform to address the issues between the private exporters representing a cross section of industries to interact with the relevant government institutions and seek responses to their trade issues.
Organised by the EDB and Development Strategies and International Trade Ministry, the forum was chaired by International Trade State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe along with International Trade Ministry State Secretary Chinthaka S. Lokuhetti and EDB Chairperson Indira Malwatte, at the head table.
The forum saw a total number of 18 issues taken up for discussion, five of which were attended/sorted out, outside the forum.
During the forum, upon taking up submissions made by the private sector exporters, Senasinghe insisted that private organisations as well as government departments/responsible institutions cited for these cases should ensure fairness and trade-encouraging practices among their dealings to further encourage trade and grow the industry.
Senasinghe also said that within the last 20 years, exports have seen a decline by 18 percent, from 32 percent to 14 percent, as a percentage of gross domestic production.
The minister said that Sri Lanka should mimic the strategy of Malaysia and Thailand, saying that manufacturing and exporting electronic products, automobiles, machinery and equipment, using modern technology to “reach its (Sri Lanka’s) export potential and expand its export basket”.
“Countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore had over 20 percent of their populations in the export industry but Sri Lanka has merely one percent of the population involved in exports. This needs to be increased to at least 10 percent,” he said.