Revive textile manufacture - Minister Bathiudeen

It is high time the Sri Lankan apparel industry considers rejuvenating the textile manufacturing industry to ensure integration of the industries, said Minister of Industrial Development and International Trade Rizad Bathiudeen. He was addressing the AGM of the Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association in Colombo last week.

“Over the past three decades the apparel industry has been focusing on innovation, competent workforce, and international reputation for quality and environmental accountability which in turn has helped the industry to develop a sophisticated industry from tailoring to total solutions specialists. I am really happy to observe that the Sri Lankan garment industry is now moving towards positioning itself as a ‘fashion’ industry.

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The Ethical Fashion Symposium this week will be another collaborative effort of the industry and the government to command the confidence and trust of leading international brands as a leading innovator in the global supply chain,” he said.

The textile and garment industries of Sri Lanka began in 1950s when the government took steps to promote the textile industry as an import substitution industry. At that stage Sri Lanka imported raw material and produced yarn, raw fabrics and finished fabrics mainly in a few large-scale textile mills established under government ownership. Power-loom and hand-loom centres largely owned by the private sector were also engaged in the production of yarn and fabric. The textiles produced in these industries were fully utilized in the domestic market. However, it is a known fact that when Sri Lanka emerged as a supplier of ready made garments in the mid seventies these industries could not sustain under open general licences.

Sri Lanka’s apparel industry has grown to be the largest contributor to the export revenue of the country. The country having established itself as a reliable supplier of quality garments at competitive prices, also upholds

ethical practices backed by legislation, thus being identified as a producer of “garments without guilt” which epitomizes the synergy between ethical brands and apparel made in Sri Lanka.

Further, Sri Lanka is proud to be the only outsourced manufacturing country in Asia which has signed up to 39 of the ILO Conventions and it stands out as a reliable source that pays fair wages to its workers and maintains high standards in working Place. Moreover, the garment industry has endeavoured to make the ‘Made in Sri Lanka’ label synonymous with quality, reliability and social and environmental accountability with the development of sustainable eco-friendly solutions to apparel manufacturing. This positive image has

undoubtedly helped Sri Lanka to keep the garment industry vibrant despite numerous challenges being faced currently.

In this post conflict era I request garment industrialists to establish garment factories in the Northern Province as well and I am happy that my Ministry is in the process of establishing industrial estates in the districts of Vavuniya and Mannar to provide necessary facilities to such manufacturers.

The ethical sourcing and sustainable development practices in the garment industry aim to empower women and support their communities through poverty alleviation and offering opportunities for education and personal growth, the Minister said.

(GW)