Over 100 nominees for Presidential Export Awards

One hundred and thirty winners representing 27 Sri Lankan export sectors will be felicitated at the revived Presidential Export Awards (PEA), spearheaded by the country’s apex exports facilitator the Exports Development Board (EDB).

The crowning achievement for Sri Lanka’s exporters, the Presidential Export Awards has been revived by EDB and is now scheduled to take place on 16 December at the Nelum Pokuna auditorium in Colombo.

The most significant feature of the Presidential Export Award is that it is presented to the award-winners by the President. A certificate signed by the secretary to the President is also issued as a symbol of the award’s prestige and national recognition. 

Attending the awards ceremony along with President Maithripala Sirisena are Minister of Strategic Development and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama and State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe. Brandix Lanka CEO Ashroff Omar is also scheduled to address the gathering of achievers from the Lankan export sector.

Excitement over the awards has already started building up among the members of the Sri Lankan export sector with many of them striving to find out whether they are on the list which was finalised after many strenuous rounds of interviews, markings and evaluations by a panel of judges chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Hector Yapa.

Among the special awards that will be presented will be accolades for Sri Lanka Exporter of the Year, Highest Employment Provider in the Export Industry, Best Sri Lankan Brand Exporter, Highest Net Foreign Exchange Earner, Best Emerging Exporter and Most Market Diversified Exporter. There will also be 27 product/service sector awards to be conferred for best exporter in each product/services sector.

The PEA was formulated by SLEDB in 1981 to recognise the contributions made by the export community for national development. The PEA symbolises the national recognition gained by individuals or enterprises that have excelled in the export business, particularly with non-traditional products and services. It is also an incentive for the exporters to explore their skills in achieving similar accomplishments in the export business.