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| Sunday, 1 August 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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EDB celebrates 25th anniversary
The country's premier State organisation for the promotion and development of exports, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board better known as EDB will celebrate its 25th anniversary on August 03. Established in 1979 under the Sri Lanka Export Development Act No 40 it is headed by the President of Sri Lanka. As the national body responsible for the promotion, development and facilitation of Sri Lanka's exports the EDB provides know-how and assistance while facilitating the effective coordination of all State and private- sector organisations, associations, industries and manufacturing enterprises and individuals involved in exporting high-quality products and services to markets worldwide. There are several divisions including export agriculture, product management, marketing, services, trade information service, TradenetSL, special project for regional SME development established under the EDB to promote exports. The Special project for regional SME development supports the development of export-oriented small and medium scale enterprises at national and provincial level Deputy Director EDB Rekha M.P.Hewaliyanage,said.
The division identifies SME- oriented sectors and entrepreneurs on a regional basis, provides training on trade related activities, develops markets through holding mini exhibitons in the region, having buyer- seller meets and overseas trade missions as well as developing a supplier base. For example to provide an exporter with coir to manufacture geo textiles, the EDB provided 200 improved coir machines to 200 women in Hikkaduwa and Kurunegala to provide the twine. The Anthurium project initiated under the SME division provided 60 growers with 1000 anthurium plants each, imported from Holland. The plants have begun to bear flowers and the growers export about 1500 stems a week, but the requirement is 5000 stems a week. The stems are exported to the Middle East, Hong Kong and Germany through linked exporters. EDB together with NDB will provide concessionary loans to expand the project to meet the export demand, she said.Hewaliyanage said that the EDB has also initiated a project to promote Ayurveda services overseas. It has already developed a website and a documentary showing the potential of the industry. Assistance to support small and medium- scale exporters own marketing efforts overseas for non traditional exports is provided by the EDB. Under this scheme assistance is provided on a cost- sharing basis on exporters own initiatives to promote the country's products and services overseas. To date 26 exporters have been assisted to the value of Rs 2.4 billion. Under this program exporters have received orders to the value of Rs 12.6 bn while some orders are under negotiation. Under the assistance scheme for the handloom sector the EDB pays compensatory grants to exporters of handloom textile products amounting to 20 percent and revised to 10 percent of the FOB value of the products exported. (SG) |
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