Export Development Council of Ministers goes to one-year slumber after resurrection

• NCE President calls on Govt. to reactivate key ministerial policy body immediately to resolve pressing issues of export sector

NCE President Ravi Jayawardene

Exporters yesterday charged that the Export Development Council (EDC) has yet again gone into slumber after its first discussion a year ago following reactivation.

The EDC was reactivated in 28 years, after it was established in 1972 with a focus on resolving issues related to exports in tandem with the National Export Strategy (NES) to be a game-changer in the post-COVID-19 economic transformation of Sri Lanka.

“The Government last year enacted the Export Development Council of Ministers and I believe they met for the first time in September and since then there had been no action,” NCE President Ravi Jayawardene told journalists yesterday.

“If you start an establishment and shut it down for one year, I don’t think the Government is going to get its desired outcome,” Jayawardene said.

At present, exports are the only sector which generates foreign currency to the economy, as both tourism and foreign remittances are impacted due to COVID-19.

Despite the pandemic the export sector has been resilient by posting a fourth consecutive month of over $ 1 billion performance in September. The first nine months’ exports amounted to $ 8.8 billion, up 19% from the corresponding period of last year.

However, NCE Chief Jayawardene emphasised exporters face many issues including some longstanding ones hence urged the Government to reactivate EDC immediately, whilst proposing the council should meet at least once a month to resolve pressing issues of the export sector.

“It is important that the Government keeps a track of being engaged with the exporters. The trade chambers should also be brought in as observers or participants to have a constant dialogue between the Government and the exporters,” he added.

He said the reactivation of the Council would help to take up all export related issues in one platform and be discussed to find suitable solutions to achieve desired results.

In August last year in a welcome move, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa gazetted the establishment of an Export Development Council of Ministers in terms of the EDB Act No.2 (1). The EDC is subject to any general or special directions given by the Cabinet of Ministers, and is responsible for the formulation and implementation of National Export Development (NES) policies and programs.

Following the enactment, the first meeting of the EDC was held on 23 September 2020 under the patronage of President Rajapaksa.

The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival Chairman Basil Rajapaksa who is now the Finance Minister. Others attending the inaugural meeting were Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena, Foreign Affairs Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Ports and Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Plantation Industries Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda, State Minister of Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Products Dayasiri Jayasekara, Rural Industrial Promotion Prasanna Ranaweera, EDB Chairman Prabhash Subasinghe, Secretary to the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundera and Cabinet and State Ministry Secretaries.