EDB’s ambitious plan is to rake in US$20 billion
The Export Development Board (EDB) has an ambitious target with the private sector to achieve US$20 billion export values by 2020 and one of the sectors that is being targeted to achieve this goal is the IT sector.
Chairperson/CEO the Export Development Board (EDB) Indra Malwatte, Guest of Honour, addressing the EU- Sri Lanka Trade -Related Assistance on the topic of Training on Export Marketing Planning for the ITO/ BPO Sector seminar held at the Galle Face Hotel last week, said that the EDB has initiated a project titled ‘She IT cell’ devoid of any gender bias to promote IT among females.
‘She’ trade among women folk was needed as it was the next most important sector to develop following the apparel sector. Already three Sri Lankan companies have invested in the Japanese market in this regard. The EDB will also make an endeavour to promote 20,000 jobs by 2020 with 1000 start-ups. The EDB during the last budget wanted to go ahead with the 1000 start-ups but there were several hiccups, she said.
Ms. Libuse Soukupova, Head of Co-operation of the European Union Delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said the 8 million Euros provided by the EU was quite a lot of money for technical assistance and for capacity building under the EU-Sri Lanka Trade Related Assistance on ‘Training on Export Marketing Planning for the ITO/BPO’ with the participation of the government and the private sector. She said the project has a lot of potential as it can create jobs for young, educated Sri Lankans both females and males.” A well developed export marketing strategy was essential to boost exports,” she said. National Project Coordinator, ITC Dayananda Silva said that he was happy to see young qualified persons from 24 companies participating at the export marketing training programme. Stringent criteria was adopted in selecting persons to participate at this programme funded by the EU, he said.
Senior Advisor to the ITC, Ms. Miyoba Lubemba said that ITC was honoured to come to Sri Lanka to participate at this event.”Our mission is to deliver value in tangible terms to companies in the IPO/BPO sector.” She said the ITC will work with companies selected to follow the training programme to map a marketing strategy. “We intend to work with 100 new companies on marketing aspects during the next two years,” she said.