Northern economy to be linked to exports via youth force

Minister of Industry Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons and Cooperative Development Rishad Bathiudeen addresses the seventh awareness session of SLEDB’s ‘2000 New Exporters’ program in Vavuniya on 1 March as Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama looks on

• PM Wickremesinghe’s ‘2000 New Exporters’ goes live in Vavuniya  
• “A great start – human resources widely available in North”: Rishad
• Says initiative helps develop region’s SMEs, overcomes youth unemployment

One of the lowest provincial contributors to national GDP, the Northern Province is to be linked to the export supply chain – not by the province’s manufacturing output but by leveraging an abundant resource, the youth within the Province.

“I am positive that this initiative can commence the linking process of Northern Province to our export markets. Human resources are widely available in the Northern Province,” said Minister of Industry Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons and Cooperative Development Rishad Bathiudeen on 1 March in Vavuniya, addressing the region’s business and production representatives at the seventh awareness session of tge Export Development Board’s ‘2000 New Exporters’ program.

Also present were Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama, EDB Chairperson Indira Malwatte, and Northern MPs.

This project came into being on a statement made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament in October 2016. A national program was thereafter launched to establish 2,000 exporters and this program is now scheduled to conclude by 2020. The EDB has been implementing the ‘2000 New Exporters’ program and so far six awareness sessions have been concluded across the country by the EDB.

“Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s 2016 economic vision stresses value chain development, enlisting youth for manufacturing, and enlisting rural producers towards exports. Such targets cannot be achieved only by working in our Western Province since this is a national effort,” said Bathiudeen.

“It is commendable to see today’s initiative taking place in Vavuniya, which is also a main production centre in the Northern Province. The Prime Minister’s vision focuses on processed food, ICT/BPO, electronics, wellness tourism, boats, and value added spices and some of these are feasible industries for North where human resources are widely available. I am positive that this initiative can commence the linking process of Northern Province to our export markets. Most importantly this initiative helps northern SMEs to upgrade their production to export standards. Initiatives like this can help solve the province’s youth unemployment issue in a useful way. My officials and I will extend our fullest support to this national effort and it is also my wish as an MP from the north to see many new industries and exporters springing up here.”  

The north is the lowest provincial contributor to GDP, at 4-5%, according to the Central Bank. The provincial population is a little above one million, comprising a widely and freely available labour force –mostly youth – that could be easily leveraged for high revenue ‘service exports’ such as ICT/BPO.