NCE Export Awards:

Colombo Dockyard clinches top award

by Surekha GALAGODA

The Colombo Dockyard won the Most outstanding exporter of the year 2008 gold award at the 17th annual National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) export awards ceremony held at the Colombo Hilton on September 25.

The silver awards were won by Expolanka Teas (Pvt) Ltd and George Steuart (Teas & Marketing)(Pvt) Ltd.

The best woman exporter Gold award was won by Renuka Agrifoods Ltd while the Best Sri Lankan Brand exporter award was won by Imperial Tea Exports (Pvt) Ltd.

Organised by the NCE to recognize achievements and excellence 90 awards were given in the sectors of Agriculture bulk, agriculture value added, tea bulk, tea value added, industry, garments, precious stones and jewellery, minerals, Export of business and professional services and service providers to exporters.

In each sector winners in the small, medium, large and extra large exporter category were honoured with gold, silver, bronze medals and certificates, The Chief Guest on the occasion Export Development and International Trade Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said that The robust performance of the exporters helped to mitigate the negative effects of the economic melt down and the first cheques under the stimulus package for industrialists who withstood the shocks of the global melt down will be given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on tomorrow.

Sri Lanka has found the way out of the woods with the end of the two decade long war and now people can look forward to vistas of opportunities opening up in the country, said Prof. Peiris. He said that during his visit to France recently the best tour operators promised to send 5,000 tourists from October to January while French investors are keen to invest in the areas of construction, water management and health.

With the end of the war vast acres of land are available in the North and East and investors both local and foreign have shown a keen interest to establish ventures mainly for export.

President NCE Rohan Fernando said that the export community in our country does not beg for handouts but they demand certain corrective and cohesive options to carry out their businesses. For example the supply of power which is a state monopoly makes industrial expansion difficult. The national power policy is much to be desired. It has no vision or medium to long-term productivity goals except to expect oil to gush out from the western sea board.

It is said that the recession has levelled out in the west and new opportunities with brand new parameters will emerge.

Our exporters have performed well during the most difficult periods and this year despite the recession we have not lost hope. Infact the number of exporters who applied for awards has shown an increase of 20% compared to last year.

Fernando said the strength of the world economy is shifting away from the west.

Brazil, Russia, India and China have been grouped as the new economic power base known as BRIC countries.

Having won an impossible war overcoming internal and external pressures meeting the new world order in the economic front should not be a tough task for our exporters.Sri Lanka truly has the power to become the economic hub in our region and be included as a country in the BRIC group and rename the group as BRICS.

Our unique position in the Indian ocean amidst the maritime routes and the vast natural resources on land and in the sea make our country an attractive proposal for many a powerful economic alliance, he said. Fernando requested the government not to stop at EDRS which was aimed at circumventing the crisis.

We need to grow our export economy from US$ 8 bln to 16 bln If a consorted effort is made we can achieve this target in three years. Fernando requested the Minister to devolve a national strategy for acceleration of exports with true value addition taking place in our country.