Sri Lanka's Apex Organisation for Export Promotion
As Fairtrade becomes the latest sales driver in international markets, Sri Lanka has stepped up its efforts to meet the new standard. A promising Lankan export niche has become the successful testing ground for Sri Lanka’s entry into global Fairtrade certification regime – and the EDB, which leads the initiative, has received encouraging feedback from many – including a global consultant on Fairtrade.
“I am impressed of Sri Lanka’s craft makers and exporters. Their products are of high quality,” said a satisfied Paul Myers, the visiting USAID/VEGA Fairtrade Expert on 19 June at EDB, Colombo.
The North Western Provincial office of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, successfully conducted the awareness seminar/workshop on fruits & vegetables for the export market on 24th March 2014 in Anuradhapura with the participation of 115 fruits & vegetable farmers in North Central Province. The programme was organized by NWP-EDB with the assistance of Department of Agriculture, National Plant Quarantine Service and Lanka Fruits & Vegetable Producers, Processors & Exporters Association.
The main objective of conducting this seminar was to increase the capacity of Fruits & Vegetable farmers in the North Central Province by way of enhancing Technical/Market awareness and facilitating linkages between farmers and exporters in order to develop consolidated supply base of quality fruits & vegetables for exports from Regions.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB) in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing organised the Sri Lanka Pavilion at the 2nd China-South Asia Expo in Kunming, China from 6 to 10 June with the participation of 135 Sri Lankan companies, displaying and promoting Sri Lankan product sectors such as gems and jewellery, tea, batik, handicraft, coir products, Ayurvedic products and giftware.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen ceremonially opened the Sri Lanka Pavilion at the expo and delivered the keynote address at the 9th China-South Asia Business Forum held on the sidelines of the 2nd China-South Asia Expo.
Sri Lanka is leveraging ICT exports to achieve its $20 B goal of 2020. And a new support initiative by the Netherlands is set to elevate Lankan software exporters to latest tech developments. “The government is highly focused on ICT sector as a forex earner and export driver. We cannot ignore ICT if we are to achieve any progress” said Bandula Egodage (Chairman/CEO of EDB) on 19 June in Colombo.
Chairman Egodage was addressing the two day-hands on interactive session “Website Enhancement and Online Marketing ITO/BPO” organised by the EDB for Sri Lankan software manufacturing and export firms. The first ever such hands-on initiative moved by EDB was facilitated by Netherlands’ CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries)-an agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Joost vander Kooij and Onno Roukens, the two CBI professional consultants who specially arrived from the Netherlands to train the companies in the session helped the more than 25 Lankan participants of the session on a one-to-one basis. Among the ICT giants taking part were John Keells Computer Services, hSenid Business Solutions, 99X Technologies, Cyber Concepts, SewEasy, E-Nowave, InfoMate, Calcey Technologies, Pyxle, Allion Technologies, Dinota Information Technologies, Sanje, i-Context Content Convergence, Four Corners, Akio Information Technologies, Data Management Systems, Lanka Communication Services, E Marketing Eye, and Perfect Business Solution Services.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) will be organizing a special pavilion at FACETS SRI LANKA – International Gem & Jewellery Show 2014 to be held at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Center from 04th to 07th September 2014.
Objective The objective of organizing this special pavilion is to give an opportunity for the SME Gem & Jewellery manufacturers to showcase their products and make use of the event as a platform for them to enter into the international market.
Sri Lanka has a favourable ‘per container cost to export’ rate of only $ 595. After reporting $1.07 Bn record exports in March, the country is now mulling a new high tech initiative to help exporters to lower this rate for added competitive advantage-while eager Lankan exporters are already testing to avail themselves to a portion of $60Bn global savings from Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
Sri Lanka's first quarter exports registered a positive growth of 16%, while monthly exports for March jumped by as much as 27%.
"This is encouraging for our efforts towards $ 20 bn export goal by 2020 as envisioned by President Mahinda Rajapaksa," said Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce on May 9 in Colombo.
Accordingly, this year's first quarter provisional exports totalled $ 2.80 bn while the comparative 2013 first quarter total exports stood at $ 2.36 bn, showing a 15.7% Q-on-Q growth.
As Lanka's exports to Japan topped $ 223 Mn mark, Sri Lanka is mulling a strategic, fast-track entry to one of the most coveted online markets in the world-Japan. "Japan is the second biggest retail market in the world. Japanese are also heavy internet users with a large e-commerce base. Using a top Japanese online giant like Rakuten could give Lankan exporters a wide-coverage and a low cost entry to this promising market" said Sujatha Weerakoone (DG-EDB) on 02 May at EDB premises.
DG Weerakoone was addressing the EDB organized event "Japan's Rakuten Platform for Sri Lankan Products" held for Lankan exporters on 02 May at EDB. The session consisted of a special in-depth presentation by Japan's Kanagawa based Takashi Yoshino (Principal, Y and F Associates LLC) who, in a his presentation, shoed in-depth of the pros and cons, and how to create an online strategy for Lankan exporters to Japan. Eager representatives from more than 40 Lankan export firms were present at the session.
Sri Lanka Export Development Board in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Belgium organized the Sri Lanka’s participation at 22nd Annual European Seafood Exposition held in Belgium from May 6-8. Over 1,690 exhibiting companies attracted more than 25,800 buyers and suppliers for the event.
This year’s exposition marks the 22nd edition of Seafood Expo Global, and the 16th edition of Seafood Processing Global. The exposition is considered a unique opportunity for the global seafood industry to come together and make valuable business connections.
The Fadna Cinnamon Tea, produced and distributed by Food and Nature Company was recently awarded the Pure Ceylon Cinnamon Quality certificate by Sri Lanka Export Development Board. This certification which is awarded only for highest quality export products is granted on the recommendation of a committee of experts appoined by the SLEDB. Here Minister of Industries and Commerce Rishard Bathiudeen awards the certificate to the Marketing Manager of the Food and Nature Company, Udara Mangala at a ceremony at the SLEDB
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board is making arrangements to organize a Design Development Programme for the Handloom Industry of Sri Lanka, obtaining the service of an International Design Expert
The objective is to enhance the design capabilities of a selected group of handloom manufactures and for exporters to upgrade their design capabilities and develop their products targeting the International Market. The programme is scheduled to be held during June 30 to July 17, 2014 at the SLEDB Auditorium.
Just a day after unveiling cinnamon logo licenses, Sri Lanka’s exporters heaped praise on the Government and the Export Development Board for the latest national initiative towards their sector on 8 April. “We are proud to have won this Pure Ceylon Cinnamon logo. To the global markets, this symbol shows where true cinnamon originates from. The EDB has really come out with it!” said an upbeat Priyadarshani Halpe, General Manager, G.P. de Silva & Sons International Ltd.
Halpe, one among many exporters who expressed similar sentiments, was speaking about the ‘Inaugural issuance of Pure Ceylon Cinnamon brand licenses to Lankan exporters’ event held at EDB Auditorium, Colombo on 7 April.
As Sri Lanka’s first batch of exporters successfully captured their licences to officially flavour the world with Sri Lanka’s second global brand yesterday, the country recommitted to $ 1 billion in spice and cinnamon exports by 2020.
“Today, nine Sri Lankan cinnamon export firms are empowered by this initiative. Together, these nine firms claim more than 25% of our annual cinnamon export values. We are aiming at $ 1 billion in spice and cinnamon exports by 2020,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen yesterday, addressing the ‘Inaugural issuance of Pure Ceylon Cinnamon brand licenses to Lankan exporters event’ at the EDB Auditorium.
In yet another important industry support initiative in the tradition of Export Development Board for Lankan exporters, for the first time, nine Sri Lankan cinnamon export firms qualifying to export cinnamon using ‘Pure Ceylon Cinnamon brand license’ were awarded license certificates by Bathiudeen at the event. The qualifying exporters in the first batch were A Baur & Co Ltd., Casa Canela Ltd., Dtriangle Ltd, Food & Nature Ltd., G.P. De Silva & Sons International Ltd., Intercom Ltd., International Commodity Traders Ltd., Mohksha Ltd. and Rathna Producers Cinnamon Exports Ltd.
As the consumer end of digital convergence in the country continued to develop, Sri Lanka has officially begun assessing the promise of the "next big thing" in digital frontier-and Sri Lanka's first Advanced Electronics Design Centre is now on the cards. "This is the first ever initiative for Sri Lanka's ICT sector on the emerging "Internet of Things". There is no doubt that this advanced and novel concept will be useful for everyone" said Sujatha Weerakoone Director General-EDBrecently. Weerakoone was addressing the first ever IoT session held in Sri Lanka, organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) .
The issuing of license for eligible exporters to use the Pure Ceylon cinnamon logo on cinnamon packs will be held at Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB) auditorium on 07th Monday.
The SLEDB recently requested pure Ceylon cinnamon manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka that wish to use pure Ceylon Cinnamon Lion Logo on cinnamon packs to forward completed applications in respect of each product design to the Sri Lanka Export Development Board.
Applications were called from companies eager to use Pure Ceylon Cinnamon Lion Logo on the cinnamon packs. The companies who are eager to use the pure Ceylon cinnamon lion logo on cinnamon packs will have to obtain prior approval from the Export Development Board.
Sri Lanka Export Development Board in collaboration with the Sri Lanka High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa is organising Sri Lanka’s participation at the South African International Trade Exhibition (SAITEX) to be held from June 22 to 24, 2014 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa and Afro- Sri Lanka Business Forum to be organised in coincide with SAITEX2014.
SAITEX is the most popular and the region’s largest multi sector international trade fair organized in South Africa for over 20 years. SAITEX serves as a strategic gateway to entire African region.
The Footwear & Leather fair 2014 was ceremonially inaugurated by Hon Basil Rajapaksa Minister of Economic Development. Hon Rishard Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry & Commerce, Hon Lakshman Wasantha Perera, Deputy Minister of Industry & Commerce and Hon. Weerakumara Dissanayaka, Deputy Minister of Traditional industries & Small Enterprise Development were the Guests of honor at this event. Large gathering of diplomats form countries namely Iraq, Italy, Vietnam, Netherlands, Iran, Nigeria, Indonesia, Turkey, India, France, European Union, Libya, Romania, Cuba, Malaysia and Germany was presented at the opening ceremony.
It was deeply saddened to hear the demise of Mr. Victor Santiapillai , the first Chairman of EDB early this month. Nation has lost a great personality who rendered an outstanding performance of duty for development of our Motherland. Mr. Santiapillai was recognized by international business community in high esteem.
Mr. Santiapillai after his preliminary education entered the University of Ceylon for higher studies. Later he joined Sri Lanka Civil Service. He was involved in bi-literal and multi-lateral trade development during his long career representing Sri Lanka at various forums etc. All his life dedicated for the trade development of Sri Lanka. His experience on commercial policy, trade and commodity agreements, market research and trade promotion comprehensively helped economic development of the nation.
As bilateral trade soared by a strong 26%, Norway, the gateway market to Scandinavia and the third highest per capita market in the world, called Sri Lanka on 18 March to step forward and grab promising opportunities available with it.
“There are many niche markets for your products and new opportunities are available in Norway. The new Norwegian GSP Plus involves lower middle income countries with populations of less than 75 million. Sri Lanka therefore qualifies as a GSP Plus country. As result, Sri Lanka now receives better market access to Norway,” announced Ambassador of Norway in Colombo Grete Lochem on Tuesday.
Lochem was addressing the EDB-facilitated seminar on the Norway GSP+ scheme at the EDB auditorium, Colombo.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Embassy in China will organize a Sri Lanka pavilion at the second China South Asia Exposition to be held at the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Centre, from June 6 to 10, 2014.
This exposition is sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Government of Yunnan province to promote import products from the South Asian region .
Applications are expected from manufacturers and exporters from the categories such as food and beverages (tea, spices and kitchen essentials, processed food products, fish and related fishery products and fresh fruits and vegetables), agri products (cut flowers and foliage, coir and coir products), gems and jewellery, garments and textiles, ceramics and porcelain products, handicrafts (high quality handicrafts, batiks, artificial fashion jewellery), healthcare products (herbal products, personal care products) finally industrial products such as rubber and based products, paints and varnishes, automobile spare parts, bicycle products, electrical products and activated carbon.
