Trade Ministry appoints Export Advisory Committees to overlook 24 sectors

• Committees to identify key market challenges, opportunities faced by industry, set goals to strengthen sector competitiveness, identify market requirements
• Private sector industry representatives to lead committees with sector leaders and relevant public sector officers from government line agencies

Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena has appointed several Export Advisory Committees to overlook 24 sectors for the 2021-2026 period.

The committees were appointed under Export Development Board (EDB) Act No. 40 of 1979, to develop and promote certain functional aspects of the export trade.

The appointed 24 committees are expected to identify key market challenges and opportunities faced by the industry and set goals to strengthen sector competitiveness and identify market requirements.

The sectors covered are: apparel, ayurveda and herbal products and cosmetics, boat and shipbuilding, coconut and coconut-based products, construction services, education services, electrical and electronic components, export processing villages, gems, diamonds and jewellery, ICT/BPM, light engineering, logistics, marine and offshore engineering, mineral-based products, national quality infrastructure, organic products, ornamental fish, pharmaceuticals, processed food and beverages, regional development, rubber and rubber-based products and plastics, seafood and aquaculture sector, spices and concentrates and trade promotion and trade information.
The Export Advisory Committees are also expected to propose key policy changes that needs to be initiated to develop the export sector, the EDB said in a statement to the media.

The committees will be led by private sector industry representatives, with participation of industry sector leaders and relevant public sector officers representing the government line agencies.

“The multi-stakeholder representation provides appropriate scrutiny of policy frameworks to catalyse export growth. They also succeed in providing a coordination to optimise institutional support and quality of service in the export process,” the EDB said.

Furthermore, the appointed committees will also be an integral part of the EDB’s formulation of annual action plans, strategies and policy.