The Government has taken every step to ensure Sri Lanka continues to benefit from the EU GSP+ scheme which is a key factor to drive export growth and bring in the much needed foreign exchange to the country, said Senior Advisor to the President, Duminda Hulangamuwa.
“Eliminating corruption, ensuring every citizen enjoys their fundamental rights, promoting good governance and a fair and decent working environment for all workers has been a core pillar of the mandate of the present government and its fulfillment is at its heart,” Hulangamuwa said.
Concluding its visit, the GSP+ Monitoring Mission last week, the European Union reiterated the urgency for Sri Lanka to align its domestic laws with the international human rights and labour conventions, if it is to continue reaping the benefits of preferential access to the EU market, under the GSP+ trade scheme.
The reminder came in a joint statement issued after the eighth meeting of the Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights, under the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission.
Exporters and the chambers promoting export growth have expressed the dire need for the continuation of the export concessions under the special tariff program to the EU market.
Last week prior to the visit of the EU GSP+ Monitoring Mission apparel sector bodies and the National Chamber of Exporters reiterated the need for the GSP+ scheme and their fullest support for its continuation.
A senior official of the apparel sector said the GSP+ program is the largest trade concession the apparel sector enjoys and ensuring that Sri Lanka qualifies for the new scheme is critical for the sector.
The EU GSP+ Monitoring Mission visited Sri Lanka from April 28 to May 7 as a part of the regular biannual monitoring to which the Government has committed to benefit from GSP+.
The current phase of the GSP Plus program will come to an end in 2027.
The spokesman for the Joint Apparel Association Forum said that with exports being a key component of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, the Association is confident that the Government would take steps to ensure that Sri Lanka qualifies for the new scheme.
The GSP plus program is the largest trade concession program the apparel sector enjoys. It was granted in 2017.
The EU is Sri Lanka’s second-largest export market accounting for about 30% of our exports.
Sri Lanka, which regained the GSP+ status in 2017, after a seven-year suspension over wartime rights concerns, has since ratified all 27 core international conventions that underpin the scheme spanning human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and governance.
In 2023, the EU imports from Sri Lanka topped €2.6 billion, with roughly half €1.3 billion entering under the GSP+ window.
