Exporters of Sri Lanka are confident that they will be able to contribute to the economy in a more efficient manner despite the setback due to the terror attack last week.
“We will work hard and will put our maximum effort in achieving the export target set for the year. However, this will be a difficult task without government support and a proper policy framework which will ensure a conducive environment for the exporters to perform,” President National Chamber of Exporters (NCE), Ramya Weerakoon said.
Highlighting the importance of government support, she said that exporters will need government and other responsible officials to implement strong, consistent and long term policies towards the country’s security.
“In any country, priority is given to the State security for peace and development. Political stability is necessary for economic development. Therefore, it is essential that the government continues with its development programs to achieve its economic goals. To this end assistance provided by the government to the key economic drivers, the exporters in particular will help fuel the growth in a rapid manner,” she said.
The negative impact incurred with the state security has affected the exporter community adversely. Therefore, protection in transporting cargo to the port is essential and the government should ensure that other situations will not arise such as protests in the Port and Customs which will impact the seamless operation of the export process.
Exporters incur many difficulties in the supply chain process for timely export. This causes loss of revenue. Therefore, the government should take immediate action to bring back normalcy in the country. Subsequently, qualified people with professionalism and expertise should be appointed to the key positions in State organisations, she said.
The exporters also call on the government to initiate programs to educate people on the importance of peace and harmony to ensure a stable future for the country and move forward for a better tomorrow by working closely with each other. We need the contribution of all the people to make the country prosperous and reach middle income status, she said.