The Export Development Board (EDB) has collaborated with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) to start the second phase of the Global Program on Textile and Clothing (GTEX2). This strategic plan, stretching from 2024 to 2027 and funded by the Swiss Government, aims to boost Sri Lanka’s apparel sector. Collaborating organisations comprise the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDCA) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), which provides technical assistance. Sri Lanka has selected a National Project Coordinator (NPC) to supervise the project’s execution.
Working personally with the Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka (JAAF), the EDB will work together with the Swiss Confederation and other participating countries like Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Tunisia under GTEX2. The program’s aims include improving the operational capabilities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the textile and garments industry, supporting adherence to social and environmental models, adding value to products and services, and growing exports to present and new markets.
At the program’s launch, State Minister Dilum Amunugama highlighted its role in advancing sustainable practices and boosting the industry’s global competitiveness via the integration of complex digital technologies.
With around 350 garment factories and 16 textile and fabric manufacturing units employing 300,000 individuals and indirectly benefiting around 350,000, Amunugama emphasised the sector’s decisive role in the country’s economic advancement. He shared confidence that the partnership with Switzerland will push Sri Lanka towards attainting its export revenue target of $8 billion by 2025, nurturing sustainable trade, generating decent jobs, and pushing economic growth.
Dr. Kingsley Bernard, Chairman of the EDB, shared gratitude for the support attained from the Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Swiss Confederation, highlighting the program’s potential to elevate the apparel sector. Dr. Bernard shared that a detailed market research study assisted by the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO) in 2022 discovered new market segments, product ranges, and sustainability priorities useful to Sri Lanka’s apparel industry. This successful research cemented the way for Sri Lanka’s involvement in GTEX2.
