Lanka's apparel exports back on track

Sri Lanka’s non-BOI apparel exporters have been integrated into the global network, Asycuda World (of UNCTAD). Apparel exports are now back on track having overcome global recession, a Ministry of Industry and Commerce spokesman said.

He said that Sri Lanka’s apparel sector has entered a new phase. As a result of Sri Lanka’s non-BOI apparel manufacturers directly integrating into the online ‘Asycuda World’ system, the country has cleared a major bottleneck in apparel exports. “Our apparel exporters are joining the global network set up by UNCTAD in which 85 countries are members,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen.

“With this integration, non-BOI apparel manufacturers can directly submit declarations to the Customs and the process has become partially paperless,” he said. “The result is that travel time is reduced, less bureaucracy and less document processing by the non-BoI apparel exporters for every shipment. In fact, they can now submit Customs declarations directly from their factories thereby paying more attention to their manufacturing process, the Minister said.

The Proposed Shipment Declaration (PSD) documents too will go online in due course. Overall garment exports which include apparel and other woven fabrics increased in the first half of 2013 by 1.5% to $ 1,994 million compared to $ 1,964 million in the corresponding period of the past year. For the first half of this year ‘apparel only’ exports totalled $ 1,873 million compared to $ 1,874 million for the corresponding period of the past year.

In fact, in 2012, our total apparel exports stood at a $ 3.77 billion,” he said. “This is a great initiative,” said Secretary General of Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) M P T Cooray. “Cost is a major factor for us and lowering costs directly impacts our competitiveness. This electronic documentation is an important step in this process.”