Export Compliance Program by the UNIDO

The Industrial Development Board (IDB), one of the institutional partners of the Export Compliance Program initiated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) held a  meeting at the LAKKAM  Auditorium of the IDB recently for the benefit of those Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) wanting to enter the global market  to compete with their products.   

The participants were selected after carefully scrutinising the applications received through the IDB district offices spread out in the country.

IDB Director General P.L.U. Rathnamalala welcomed the participants, with IDB Chairman Navin Adikarama giving the introductory remarks. UNIDO Technical Specialist Dr. Jairo Andres briefed the participants, conveying details of the EU - Sri Lanka Trade Assistance Project and Export Compliance Program to SMEs. He underscored the fact that ‘developing countries have to strengthen the requirements with regard to product quality, safety, health and environmental impacts.’

He said that the EU-Sri Lanka Trade-Related Assistance project aims to increase the trade competitiveness of Sri Lankan SMEs, enabling them to enter the global market and compete in both the regional and the European Union (EU) markets.

The four-year EU-funded project worth eight million euros, contributes to Sri Lanka’s inclusive trade-led growth and regional integration.  It is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The participants were told that this project supports SME export competitiveness and value addition in sectors with high potential for economic growth and development. Further, this project addresses compliance standards and efficiencies in cross border procedures, which are key constraints to market access, especially for SMEs. Specific attention is given to enhancing value chains in the spice, food and Information Technology/Business Process Outsourcing (IT/BPO) sectors.  

One of the project’s expected results is to improve the SME competitiveness in export-oriented sectors. The Export Compliance Program (XCP) is the initiative of UNIDO, in the framework of the EU-Trade Related Assistance project, to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs, along the Processed Foods and Beverages and Spices and Concentrates (PFBSC) Value Chains (VC) and to improve their access to the EU and regional markets.

The program supports the process to implement and to obtain certifications such as GLOBAL G.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practices), SL – G.A.P., GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), ISO 22000 (food safety management system), Organic (restricted use of chemicals, substances and conditions potentially harmful for human health or the environment). 

The gathering provided an opportunity for industrialists to define their exact expectations from XCP and challenges to the officials of the UNIDO.