NCE congratulates new EDB Chairman Suresh de Mel

The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) in a statement yesterday, congratulated Suresh de Mel for his recent appointment as the Chairman of the Export Development Board (EDB).

NCE said EDB is an important State Institution in terms of promoting and developing the export sector of Sri Lanka, making an indispensable contribution to sustaining the economy of the country. 

As the Managing Director of Fishing Flies Ltd. – which engaged in the export of artificial fish baits, especially to the USA market – Suresh succeeded his father Nihal de Mel, an engineer and technical director, who served the Industrial Development Board in the late 1960s. 

Suresh de Mel is an environmental engineer by profession, who acquired his experience in the USA. He has been actively engaged in the Hambantota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is well-known for supporting both the exports and tourism sectors, especially through the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector. He has also promoted entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka through the Global Entrepreneurship Network. 

He also serves as the Co-Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Trade Promotion and Trade Information related to the implementation of the National Export Strategy (NES) under the purview of the EDB. In this capacity, he empowered the public and private sectors to collaborate in the identification of priorities in order to improve export performance of the export sector. Currently, de Mel serves as a Council Member cum Board Member of the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC), representing SMEs and regional chambers of commerce. 

“Being himself a successful entrepreneur in the SME category related to exports, de Mel will be advantageous in fostering the development of SME exporters, who hold the potential to make a vital contribution to the economy of Sri Lanka,” NCE said. 

While appreciating the services provided by the EDB for the private sector in promoting, developing, and expanding exports, NCE said it willbe pleased to collaborate closely with the EDB in the future, under de Mel’s leadership.