Monday, 12 August 2013 01:28
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By Shabiya Ali Ahlam
The export sector will come to the spotlight in November as a comprehensive exhibition will be held parallel to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo. Organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the Board of Investment (BoI) and the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, the exhibition will be held from 13 to 17 November 2013 at the Janakala Kendraya, Battaramulla.
It will have 300 stalls showcasing some of the the country’s leading export products as well as those with high potential.
The 54-member CHOGM will draw over 1,500 official delegates whilst the Commonwealth Business Forum prior to it is expected to attract over 500 foreign participants. The decision to hold the exhibition is with the aim of luring foreign participants to view the world class export products Sri Lanka markets globally. It will also showcase the country’s potential for interested foreign companies to establish sourcing arrangements or pursue joint ventures.
EDB Chairman/Chief Executive Bandula Egodage told the Daily FT that exhibitors will be selected for the 300 stalls.
“We do not intend to discriminate but considering that Sri Lanka has over 1,600 exporters, there will be only a small proportion that we can accommodate. To give equal prominence to all the sectors, we are in the midst of formulating selection criteria for this purpose,” he said.
Having advertised last week, calling for exhibitors for the exhibition, Egodage stated that the selected exhibitors will be given a standard stall of 3m x 3m with basic fixtures and fittings for free.
Along with this, B2B meetings will be facilitated by the EDB and suitable selling partners will also be introduced to the foreign buyers if required.
Egodage stressed that the exhibitors will not be allowed to sell products in the first few days of the exhibition since by doing so, the objective of the event will be lost. “We want the exhibitors to build a relationship with the foreign buyers. However, we would encourage them to take orders during the exhibition.”
The initiative is guided and directed by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development. The upcoming exhibition is expected to give a big boost to Made in Sri Lanka products. The export sector last got its major exposure via the Sri Lanka Expo 2012, which had 372 stalls and drew over 1,000 visitors.
