Sri Lanka exported apparels worth US$ 3.038 billion surpassing US$ 2.930 billion revenue during the same period in 2009. .
Sri Lanka Garment Buying Offices Association President J D R Sylvester
said that the industry was really booming except few hiccups and was
expected to end the year with a four percent growth rate. .
.
He emphasized for a strategic plan for 2012 to increase installed
capacity as well as to work out a mechanism to reopen factories, closed
during the recession time. He told that that would certainly help the
industry in changing the business climate. .
.
Sri Lanka Garment Buying Offices Association Secretary General Hiran
Bandaranayake told that the apparel industry needed production
integration and bilateral trade promotion to capture market
opportunities. He told that despite the loss of GSP facility the
country was doing well and the industry was confident to surpass
projections. .
.
In Sri Lanka, a sum of Rs. 40 million has been allocated from the
consolidated fund per year to promote the local apparel industry. This
year this fund has been diverted for an image building campaign of the
industry. .
.
The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) has started a countrywide
image building campaign from February 2011 to highlight the contribution
of garment factory workers in the development of national economy. .
.
In addition to that, many closed garment factories in the country have
been acquired by major garment factories starting work at full capacity.
Because of these measures, the industry has created around 400,000 jobs
in various manufacturing processes. .
.
At other level too, efforts are made to strengthen the industry. The
Moratuwa University has planned a hub with help from the Joint Apparel
Association Forum (JAAF). It will help in building the industry, with
training as well as quality and product development. The JAAF human
resources program will also help to uplift the industry. ”
Date:3/23/2011
Source:Reuters