President pays tribute to exporters
Rohan Mathes
COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated that despite the
ongoing conflict, his Government will utilise all means at its disposal
and lend its fullest support to the unrelenting exporters who have
contributed around 25 per cent of the country's GDP.
Addressing the most prestigious event of the country's Exporter
fraternity, the Presidential Export Awards 2005 at the Presidential
Secretariat in Colombo yesterday, President Rajapaksa said, "we as a
Government of a small country fighting a war, has never ever forsaken
our exporters who have relentlessly fought under severe constraints of
fierce global competition and economies of scale, to achieve commendable
success".
"We have already fulfilled the promises made to the exporters in the
Mahinda Chintanaya and provided a host of concessions to them in the
last Budget. We have offered them exposure with the manufacturers.
Thirty six exporters have received export concessions to the value of
rupees 10 million allocated from the last budget and they have also
obtained foreign expertise and know-how", he said.
The President maintained that he was fully aware of the problems
encountered by the exporters who had an arduous task of producing
quality goods which could be sold at affordable rates in highly
competitive global markets.
He observed that producing goods to match and satisfy the varied
requirements of the global markets with our indigenous 'brand' names per
se was no easy task. It needed continuous 'market research' which was
costly and ill-affordable by our small companies competing with
multi-national companies.
President Rajapaksa stated that in realisation of the fact that power
was an essential pre-requisite for exporters, his Government was taking
all possible steps to construct Norochcholai, Upper Kothmale and the
Kerawalapitiya power stations which would facilitate cheaper power
generation in the future.
"We would also eradicate terrorism and bring-about an environment in
which people of all races and religions would be able to live sans fear
nor suspicion", he added.
Refuting all slanderous allegations by certain quarters who had
under-estimated and criticised his recent visit to China claiming it to
be a waste of resources, the President categorically stated that all
development and political deliberations are made in the best interest of
our products and exporters and the Chinese tour enabled them to give the
Sri Lankan exporter a good place in the vast Chinese market.
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