Sri Lankan SMEs represented at Serendib 2006

TRADE FAIR: Sixty handpicked exhibitors including six tsunami affected entrepreneurs are displaying their products at the Serendib 2006, Sri Lanka Trade Exhibition which was opend at New Connaught Rooms Covent Garden London on Wednesday.

The EDB has supported 17 small businesses to take part in the exhibition to display their products at the show.

Apparel and textiles, gems and jewellery, food and drink, software and solutions, Giftware and Lifestyle products are on show at the exhibition.

The event is organised under the direction of the Ministry of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion by the EDB in collaboration with the Sri Lanka High Commission in UK. The three day exhibition, the first of its kind to be held in UK showcases the creativity, imagination, quality and capabilities of the Sri Lankan export led economy.

Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said the Serendib exhibition is is all about one sector of Sri Lanka's exporters getting under one banner. That sector is not the overall sector of Sri Lanka's total exports he said.

To the UK we have a sizable export presence commanding over a 700m US$ exports. Most of the Department stores here have products made in Sri Lanka in the garment sector. What we are showcasing is not the entire range, the Minister said.

"We have products here that are made by the SME sector in Sri Lanka under which we are today launching several schemes in order to introduce the SME' right across the globe in terms of getting market establishment. That shows how resilient our economy and the export sector is, the Minister said.

"We are growing around 10% in terms of exports and in 2006 our target is 7 billion US$ and the SME affected by the tsunami are also represented here.

"That shows how resilient we are he said. Though we lost over40,000 lives within a span of 20 months today we are back into business,"he said.

Stephen Timms said that UK imported 400m pounds worth of products from Sri Lanka while it exported 100m pounds worth of products to Sri Lanka in 2005 and in the tourism sector British tourists have visited Sri Lanka more than any other country and among the EU countries UK is the leading investor in Sri Lanka.