Apparel sourcing association seeks transformation in sector
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SLASA ExCo - Seated: Anil Wettewe (Past Chairman), Gopal K Iyer (Secretary General), Shweta Dhir (Vice Chairman), Wilhelm Elias (Chairman), Azmina Kareem (Vice Chairman), Gayan Galapitige (Secretary), Denver Jayasundara (Hon. Treasurer). Standing: Ex-Co Members Padmal Silva, Angie Dep, Yasmi Bari, Manjula Bahlendran
The Sri Lanka Apparel Sourcing Association (SLASA) held its 25th Annual General Meeting recently under the aegis of the Charge d’Affaires of the EU Thorston Bargfrede. Wilhelm Elias was re-elected Chairman, while the Vice Chairmen elected were Shweta Dhir and Azmina Kareem, Treasurer Denver Jayasundara and Secretary Gayan Galapitige as office bearers for the year 2022/23. Gopal K. Iyer was appointed Secretary General for the Association.
The key messages emerging from Mr. Bargfrede and Mr. Elias among others was that while the apparel industry had shown extraordinary tenacity and resilience through COVID-19 and the economic crisis well evidenced by the good export results Sri Lanka was showcasing in 2022, there was a need to transform and that too with urgency, the association said in a media release.
Commending SLASA members for demonstrating the maturity of the industry and emerging stronger and more vibrant post the pandemic, Mr. Elias described the rapid transformation seen within the industry during the economic crisis as truly remarkable. “We adapted to new ways of doing business while also keeping the country’s needs a priority. There was no rule book to work on but business leaders demonstrated how the industry was flexible and quick to adapt while reaffirming Sri Lanka’s reputation of being a safe pair of hands.”
He added that in the next half of 2022, external forces are emerging, prompting a drop in numbers with galloping inflation, customers being over-stocked and disposable income reducing. Mr. Elias said competitor countries will find it hard to keep business they gain from Sri Lanka even temporarily and hence, the industry must ensure that buyers are given good reason to move back to Sri Lanka. “In the larger picture, all apparel manufacturing countries are seeing an organic decline in business levels and we need to be conscious of reducing prices.”
To meet the industry target of US$8 billion by 2025 and determined to rally the troops, Mr. Elias stressed the need for relationship building which will come under stress in the months to come. “We are not the most cost-effective country, but we must transform our renowned resilience and tenacity into opportunity by building on our strengths and re-thinking our strategy, keeping that foundation of relationship building strong.”
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