Lankan non-boi apparel exporters enter global Asycuda network
Sri Lanka’s non-BoI apparel exporters are now integrated to the crucial global network called Asycuda World (of UNCTAD).
Having overcome the global recession, our apparel exports are now back on track-with good news. “Today, Sri Lanka’s apparel sector is entering into a new phase. As a result of Sri Lanka’s non-BoI apparel manufacturers directly integrating into the online ‘Asycuda World’ system, we have now cleared a major bottleneck in our apparel exports,” said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, addressing the implementation event of the Asycuda World export documentation system for non-BoI apparel exporters in Colombo.
Also present during the event were Anura Siriwardena (Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Commerce), officials from the Department of Customs, reps from various Chambers, and reps from the apparel exporter community, and textile officials of the Commerce Ministry among others. Integration of non-BoI apparel sector to Asycuda World network is expected to save more than 8200 man hours to them, annually.
“Our apparel exporters are joining a global network by UNCTAD in which 85 other countries are already part of,” said Minister Bathiudeen, and added: “With our apparel’s entry to Asycuda World, we have now cleared a major bottleneck in our apparel exports. With this integration, our non-BoI apparel manufacturers can successfully eliminate the present manual submission of custom documents (custdocs) and can directly submit custom declarations, to the customs and has become partially paperless.
Speaking on apparel exports volumes, Minister Bathiudeen said he is pleased to witness Sri Lanka’s apparel exports recovering from the impact of global recession. “Overall garment exports which ‘include apparels and other woven fabrics’ too, have increased in first half of 2013 by 1.5 percent to $ 1,994 million, in comparison to 2012’s first half which stood at $ 1,964 million. This year’s ‘apparel only’ export value totalled $ 1,873 million, also at same levels of 2012 first half ‘apparel only’ exports at $ 1874 million. In fact, in 2012, our total apparel exports stood at a strong $ 3.77 billion.”
“This is a great initiative” said MPT Cooray, Secretary General of Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF). “Cost is a major factor for us and lowering cost directly impacts our competitiveness. Reduction of transaction costs can help us in a great way. This electronic documentation we have been asking for, is an important step in this process. This new system does exactly that and also saves our time greatly, so that resource costs are also minimised. What we are trying to see in the eventuality is a total paperless system.”