Friday Jun 05, 2026
Friday Jun 05, 2026
Tuesday, 2 June 2026 07:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
From left: EDB Additional Director General – Development Kumudinie Mudalige, Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe, Additional Director General – Finance and Administration J.M.R.S. Jayasinghe, and Director – Trade Facilitation and Trade Information Dr. S.U. Rathnasekera
In a bid to address one of the most significant bottlenecks faced by the country’s export sector, the Export Development Board (EDB) has stepped up its plan to implement a comprehensive mechanism to expand testing and certification facilities countrywide. A high-level stakeholder discussion was recently held in Colombo with the participation of Government institutions, testing laboratories, certification bodies, and exporters.
Speaking at the event, EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe emphasised that quality, compliance, and speed are essential factors in winning in the global marketplace.
He pointed out that the current testing facilities remain largely centralised in Colombo, posing a major challenge for exporters based in the North, East, and Southern regions of the country.
To address this situation, it was highlighted that decentralising testing facilities could be achieved through several key measures modernising existing Government laboratories at the provincial level, maximising utilisation of available but underutilised testing facilities, establishing public-private partnerships (PPPs), and simplifying the certification process through digital mechanisms.
As the next step, exporter testing and certification requirements will be mapped alongside the capacities and strategies of existing service providers. Based on these findings, more practical and effective solutions will be discussed with higher authorities to better serve the exporter community countrywide.
The EDB also noted that the Government regulatory authorities and laboratory networks must work in close collaboration to support the national export agenda.
