Message from the European Commission's
Delegation to Sri Lanka
I have much pleasure in sending this message on the occasion
of the launch of the project to provide enhanced management
skills that will lead to productivity improvement and cost
reduction in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) apparel
manufacturing sector in Sri Lanka.
Trade and investment are crucial to Sri Lanka's continued
economic development. They are also important to SMEs, which
represent the backbone of all developed and developing nations.
The textile industry -- chiefly apparel manufacturing --
occupies a prominent place in Sri Lanka's industrial structure.
It is the largest employer in the manufacturing industry,
and its export value has been the largest of all export
industries. Nearly a thousand large, medium and small-scale
production units provide over 330,000 direct employment
opportunities. The apparel industry in Sri Lanka today is
vibrant with every indication that it will continue to grow.
The industry has proven to be the most significant contributor
to the country's economy over its twenty-five year existence.
Forging new trade and investment relations with the European
business community will boost Sri Lanka's prosperity through
new export opportunities, increased inward investment and
job creation. At the level of the EU companies looking to
transfer technology and knowledge, the improved capacity
of the Sri Lankan companies participating in this project
to do business with the EU will make their task of identifying
partners in Sri Lanka that much more straightforward.
This project comes under the Asia-Invest Programme,
an initiative of the European Union which was launched in
1997 to promote and support business co-operation between
the EU Member States and Asia. The programme provides assistance
to intermediary organizations to facilitate mutually-beneficial
partnerships between EU and Asian companies, in particular
SMEs, as well as to strengthen the framework conditions
to increase trade and investment flows between the two regions.
The programme is designed to help SMEs to identify cooperation
partners and provide them with the information necessary
to make decisions on partnerships, market and investments.
Let me extend my best wishes of success to the companies
participating in this programme.
Wouter Wilton
Chargé d'Affaires |
