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| Sunday, 31 July 2005 |
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Lankan exporters eye Malaysian market by Don Asoka Wijewardena Two Sri Lankan exporters W. M. Wimal Fernando, Chief Executive of Harsha Product and M. Dayananda Perera, Managing Director of Dil Foods (Pvt) Ltd have entered the Malaysian Halal Directory for their quality products which met Malaysian standards at the 6th International Malaysian Trade Fair held in Kuala Lumpur from July 14 to 16 at the Puthra World Trade Centre. Harsha Products Chief Executive Wimal Fernando told the Sunday Observer that the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) and the Sri Lankan High Commission in Malaysia had helped to set up the stall at the Trade Fair for the exhibition and promote the sale of Sri Lankan sweets such as jujubes, sweets made of fried breadfruit with sugar and honey and Murukku and added that due to the quality and taste of Sri Lankan food they were able to enter the Malaysian Halal Directory. Fernando, the treasurer of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) said they could showcase authentic Sri Lankan food items among nearly 20,000 visitors, including visitors from Saudi Arabia, Poland, China, United Kingdom and Turkey who relished Sri Lankan foods and added that around 27 countries had participated in the Trade Fair showcasing their products. Dil Foods (Pvt) Ltd Managing Director Dayananda Perera said that the Malaysian government was exceptionally helpful to SMEs as the loan schemes granted to SME entreprenurs and industrialists were extremely impressive at the Malaysian May Bank which had been providing loans to SMEs at a very low interest rate of 3 per cent to 4 per cent while machinery items were interest free. Perera said that Sri Lankan spices in powdered form and rice flour for instant string hoppers were sold like hot cakes. Most visitors were interested in buying them as some of their ancestors were from Sri Lanka. He also said that those under 16 were not allowed to enter the exhibition grounds in keeping with the rules and regulations of the Malaysian government. Perera said that the primary objective of their visit was to promote and capture a strong export market for Sri Lankan food items in Malaysia, especially sweetmeats and spices. "We are grateful to the BoC, People's Bank and the Business Development Centre (BDC) which helped us immensely in travelling to Malaysia. Wimal Fernando and Dayananda Perera also said that they were however, disappointed over the negative response received at the EDB as some officials had turned a blind eye to their request to visit Malaysia and added that they were negotiating with Malaysian businessmen to export Sri Lanka's sweets and spices to Malaysia soon. |
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