UK expert to inaugurate handloom design program

Lanka Business Today - 30/06/2014

A programme on ‘Design Development for Sri Lanka’s Handlooms’ will take place at the Export Development Board auditorium today, June 30 at 9.30am.

It will be inaugurated by International Design Expert Ms Jennifer Shellard of the United Kingdom.

Sri Lanka's handloom textile industry is centuries old, the 6th century BC according to Mahavansa, when Prince Vijaya from India landed at Manthota (Mannar) in Sri Lanka. History records that when he found Kuveni, whom he eventually married, she was spinning yarn. And that tradition continues to the present era as weaving handloom textiles.

EDB starts work on latest global market Fairtrade call

Daily FT - 25/06/2014

• Enlists former global FT head Myers for initiative
• Pilots Fairtrade certification support in Sri Lanka for exporters
• First sector: Crafts & Lifestyle exports
• Midaya Ceramic, Kandygs, among shortlisted
• Crafts & Lifestyle exports up by 25%

Paul Myers, the visiting USAID/VEGA Fairtrade Expert visits a craft-maker in Piliyandala.

As Fairtrade becomes the latest sales driver in international markets, Sri Lanka has stepped up its efforts to meet the new standard. A promising Lankan export niche has become the successful testing ground for Sri Lanka’s entry into global Fairtrade certification regime – and the EDB, which leads the initiative, has received encouraging feedback from many – including a global consultant on Fairtrade.
“I am impressed of Sri Lanka’s craft makers and exporters. Their products are of high quality,” said a satisfied Paul Myers, the visiting USAID/VEGA Fairtrade Expert on 19 June at EDB, Colombo.

Awareness seminar/workshop on cut foliage and flowers for the export market for export oriented out growers in NW province

The North Western Provincial office of the SLEDB, successfully conducted the awareness seminar/workshop on Cut foliage & flowers for the export Market on 20th June 2014 in the auditorium of District Secretariat-Kurunegala with the participation of 102 Cut foliage & Flowers out growers in North Western Province. The programme was organized by NWP-EDB with the assistance of Department of Agriculture.

The main objective of conducting this seminar was to increase the capacity of export oriented cut foliage out growers in the Province by way of enhancing Technical/Market awareness and facilitating linkages between out growers and exporters in order to develop consolidated supply base of quality Cut foliage & flowers for exports from Regions.

Sri Lanka shines at 2nd China-South Asia Expo in Kunming

Daily FT - 24/06/2014

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB) in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing organised the Sri Lanka Pavilion at the 2nd China-South Asia Expo in Kunming, China from 6 to 10 June with the participation of 135 Sri Lankan companies, displaying and promoting Sri Lankan product sectors such as gems and jewellery, tea, batik, handicraft, coir products, Ayurvedic products and giftware.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen ceremonially opened the Sri Lanka Pavilion at the expo and delivered the keynote address at the 9th China-South Asia Business Forum held on the sidelines of the 2nd China-South Asia Expo.

Dutch push for Lanka’s hi-tech exports

Asian Tribune - 23/06/2014

From far right: M.K.S.K Maldeniya (EDB’s ICT Sector Director), Joost vander Kooij and Onno Roukens (the CBI professional consultants from Netherlands) nod in agreement with Bandula Egodage (Chairman/CEO of EDB) as he addresses interactive session “Website Enhancement and Online Marketing ITO/BPO” on 19 June organised by the EDB for Sri Lankan software manufacturing and export firms.

Sri Lanka is leveraging ICT exports to achieve its $20 B goal of 2020. And a new support initiative by the Netherlands is set to elevate Lankan software exporters to latest tech developments. “The government is highly focused on ICT sector as a forex earner and export driver. We cannot ignore ICT if we are to achieve any progress” said Bandula Egodage (Chairman/CEO of EDB) on 19 June in Colombo.

Chairman Egodage was addressing the two day-hands on interactive session “Website Enhancement and Online Marketing ITO/BPO” organised by the EDB for Sri Lankan software manufacturing and export firms. The first ever such hands-on initiative moved by EDB was facilitated by Netherlands’ CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries)-an agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Joost vander Kooij and Onno Roukens, the two CBI professional consultants who specially arrived from the Netherlands to train the companies in the session helped the more than 25 Lankan participants of the session on a one-to-one basis. Among the ICT giants taking part were John Keells Computer Services, hSenid Business Solutions, 99X Technologies, Cyber Concepts, SewEasy, E-Nowave, InfoMate, Calcey Technologies, Pyxle, Allion Technologies, Dinota Information Technologies, Sanje, i-Context Content Convergence, Four Corners, Akio Information Technologies, Data Management Systems, Lanka Communication Services, E Marketing Eye, and Perfect Business Solution Services.

Export earnings increase in April,rupee stable

Daily News - 23/06/2014

Sri Lanka’s external sector strengthened further in April 2014, with continued foreign currency inflows in the form of earnings from exports, tourism, workers’ remittances, as well as inflows to the financial account, the Central Bank said on Friday.

The trade deficit continued to narrow during the first four months of 2014 as a result of healthy growth in exports. The contraction of the trade deficit and higher inflows to services and income accounts contributed to reducing the current account deficit. These developments, together with inflows to the financial account have resulted in a higher surplus in the BOP by end April 2014, compared to the corresponding period of 2013,the Bank said.

Three-day ‘Israel-Sri Lanka Business Forum’ on 25 June

Daily Finance Times - 23/06/2014

The Sri Lanka Embassy in Israel in collaboration with the Export Development Board in Sri Lanka, Ministry of External Affairs in Sri Lanka, LR Group in Israel and the Israel-Asia Chamber of Commerce in Israel, has organised a ‘Business Forum’ for the Sri Lankan and Israeli business communities from 25 to 27 June, in order to strengthen bilateral, commercial, trade, cultural and other relations between the two friendly nations.

Main topics to be dealt with will include tourism, technology, water, energy, medical, apparel, employment, agriculture, green house cultivation, diary, fish, flora and fauna, diamonds, gems, jewellery, rubber, hospital, pharmaceuticals, highways, construction and any other topics by the prospective delegates based on their requirements.