Export-led economic policy will make conformity assessment mandatory

Given that the third generation economic reforms are essentially about making Sri Lanka export-led, the need for conformity assessment of a product or service will be in more demand, commented Dr. Rohantha Athukorala when he addressed the Sri Lanka Accredited Board Conference at the BMICH recently.

Dr. Athukorala, the Commissioner General for Expo at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, outlined how the earlier thinking was more domestic-led market growth but given the new economic vision being external economy-led, the need for every product or service to be certified by an international standards body will be become mandatory if we are to be competitive globally. 

“The formation of the international trade agency as mentioned by the Prime Minister can facilitate such conformity assessment which is where the private public partnership can come totogether,” he voiced.

“The best case in point is the tea industry of Sri Lanka,” cited the speaker. “In the 1960s the industry was totally State-led but by 2009 privatisation took place and with this new thinking came into being. With this came the revolutionary thinking of branding the tea commodity. Today, we have tea brand companies developing products with standardisation such as Rain Forest Alliance Certification which can fetch a premium price overnight. With the opening up of the EU market with GSP+ coming into play in the near future, brands with such conformity assessment criteria on the environment front or on food safety criteria can help spruce export revenue,” said Dr. Athukorala.