Consultations on National Export Development Plan 2025-2029 kicks off

Chathuranga Abeysinghe	Mangala Wijesinghe	Takafumi Kadono	Thilaka Jayasundara

Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board (EDB), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), this week launched a series of stakeholder consultations to formulate the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) 2025-2029. The plan is aimed at boosting export competitiveness and driving sustainable growth.

The inaugural session was held at the EDB headquarters in Colombo, with representatives from government agencies, private sector organisations, industry associations and development partners. 

The plan has been identified as a priority in the government’s 2025 budget, with the EDB mandated to lead the process under the Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry’s Policy-Based Lending programme. It is expected to be completed by November 2025.

Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said the NEDP was critical to positioning Sri Lanka as a competitive player in global markets. EDB Chairman and Chief Executive Mangala Wijesinghe delivered the welcome speech, while Ministry Secretary Thilaka Jayasundara and ADB Country Director Takafumi Kadono highlighted the collaborative nature of the initiative.

The five-year plan will focus on three objectives: enhancing trade competitiveness, expanding regional and global market linkages and promoting sustainable, trade-led growth. It will build on lessons from the National Export Strategy 2018-2022 while addressing the evolving global, regional and domestic trade dynamics.

A series of consultations is scheduled for October 2-10, including eight focus group discussions and a technical committee meeting. A regional consultation workshop and two validation workshops in Colombo are planned for November. The first day’s discussions focused on trade logistics and facilitation, identifying bottlenecks and potential solutions in the export ecosystem.

The process will help determine priority sectors for targeted interventions, explore opportunities with emerging regional markets, address systemic trade challenges and develop consensus on policy measures and implementation. 

The EDB said the collaborative approach was intended to align national export priorities with industry needs and global opportunities, while incorporating diverse stakeholder perspectives.

Officials present at the launch included Trade Ministry Secretary K.A. Wimalendraraja, EDB Acting Director General Eranda Disanayaka, Acting Additional Director General Development Kumudinie Mudalige and other senior EDB officials.

According to the government, the completion of the NEDP by November 2025 is a key milestone in Sri Lanka’s economic recovery strategy, with exports expected to play a central role in driving growth.