Export Development Board 20th Presidential Export Awards on August 9

The 20th Presidential Export Awards (PEA) ceremony organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) will be held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena on August 9, 2016 at 3:00 p.m., at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).
The PEA initiated by the EDB in 1981 is the most prestigious award for exports   in Sri Lanka and is presented to exporters who have made a significant contribution to Sri Lanka’s exports.
This year’s ceremony will recognize and salute the exporters for their excellence in the years 2014 and 2015 and the awards symbolize the national recognition of the exporters, particularly in non-traditional products and services. 
Among the special (overall) awards are: Sri Lanka Exporter of the Year, Highest Employment Provider in the Export Industry, Best Sri Lankan Brand Exporter, Highest Nett Foreign  Exchange Earner, Best Emerging Exporter and Most Market Diversified  Exporter.
In addition to the above categories, the 2014/15 PEA will introduce the following special awards.
The Excellence in Sustainable Development Award has been introduced considering the importance placed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Trade supporting organisations in sustainable development when formulating trade policies and as there is an increasing segment of buyers, who look for fair trade labelling and looking to source their requirements from companies that adhere to sustainable measures.
The contribution for sustainable development is measured in how business enterprises treat people, profit and the planet (PPP).  Sustainable development includes the interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of economic, social and environmental sustainability. This award will recognize extraordinary systems, programmes or processes that have far-reaching and positive sustainability efforts by the export industries.
The award for the Highest Contributor from the Regions to the Export Supply Chain has been introduced to encourage the exporters to setup industries at the regional level keeping in line with the government’s thinking of setting up economic/industrial zones in the regions.
The Best Multinational Export Company (MNC) was introduced to encourage and recognize their contribution to the national export drive and also to enhance foreign direct investment s (FDIs) from MNCs to Sri Lanka.
The Best Packaging Service Provider to Exporters Award has been reintroduced in order to recognize the contribution made by the packaging industry to the export sector. 
Further, the PEA will be presented to the best exporter in each of the following product categories: industrial products, agricultural products, fish and fisheries products and service sectors. This has been categorized into two segments viz. Highest Value-Added Exporter of the Sector and Highest Foreign Exchange Earner for the Sector.
In recognition of the efforts of emerging sectors, three sectoral awards were introduced from 2014 viz. Best Exporter of the Motor and Motor Spare Parts Sector (other than tyres), Best Exporter of Hi-Tech/Innovative Product Sector and Best Exporter of Organic Product Sector.
Furthermore, certain product sectors were sub segmented with effect from 2014.
Gems, jewellery and diamond had been classified under one sector until 2013. As a result, the gem and jewellery exporters could not aspire to win awards due to the fact that diamond exports represent a higher value, albeit with low value addition compared to gems and jewellery.
All coconut-based products were considered under the broad category of coconut and coconut-based products, even though the usage and scale of production, etc., of coconut kernel and non-kernel products are entirely different. 
However, over the past years, awards for this sector have been received by coconut non-kernel product exporters.
The selections for the awards were done by an eminent panel headed by a retired High Court judge.
In total 113 awards will be presented during the ceremony.
The PEA 2014 and 2015 is organised by the EDB under the leadership of Chairperson and Chief Executive Indira Malwatte and the guidance and directions of Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama and International Trade State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe.