© International
Trade Centre, International Trade Forum - Issue 1/2002
The Export Development Board (EDB) of Sri Lanka
was set up in 1979 by an Act of Parliament as the focal point
export promotion organization. At that time, the economy was
liberalized with the state recognizing the private sector as the
"engine of growth". The EDB has both public and private sector
high-level representatives and is responsible for formulating and
implementing the National Export Development Plan (NEDP), as well
as export development policies and programmes.
However, in recent years, the quality of EDB's support services
has diminished. Under its leadership, there was inadequate
coordination and integration of services provided by specialized
institutions to exporters. As a consequence, EDB's image and
credibility within the business community was eroded. Vital
structural links with other trade support network members became
dormant, while financial support from the public sector diminished,
as did support from the international donor community. From this
experience, several lessons were learned about what is required to
achieve an effective focal-point trade promotion organization:
- Administration and structure should have a private sector
orientation.
- To the extent possible, self-reliance should be achieved
through income-generating professional services.
- Export development programmes should emphasize impact (in EDB's
case, these new approaches could include promoting business and
professional services, entrepôt trade and focusing on a wider range
of export product sectors).
- An effective overseas trade support network must be put in
place.
- National export awareness should be targeted through
strengthening the provincial (or regional) export support services
network.
- There should be greater emphasis on applied market research
linked to strengthening trade information services using modern
technologies.
- Supply development programmes should be introduced.
- Exporter training programmes should be broad-based and include
business ethics.
- In collaboration with universities, entrepreneurship programmes
should be introduced.
- Human resource development should become a priority in order to
retain existing professional staff and attract new
professionals.
Contributed by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board. More
details can be found in the Discussion Briefs section of the web
site for Executive Forum 2001.