Industry veteran Saifuddin Jafferjee re-elected chairman of JAAF at AGM

The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) held its 21st Annual General Meeting on 27th January in Colombo. Speaking at the event the reappointed Chairperson, Saifuddin Jafferjee, reflected on the achievements of the past year while emphasizing the work needed to navigate upcoming challenges in the apparel industry.

“I am deeply honored to serve this incredible industry once again,” Jafferjee remarked, expressing gratitude for the trust placed in him. He celebrated the sector’s resurgence beyond the $5 billion export mark, attributing this milestone to the collective resilience and efforts of industry leaders and teams. However, he also acknowledged the fragility of the recovery amidst intensifying competition and pricing pressures, particularly from regional players such as Cambodia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

Despite flat imports in key markets like the EU, Jafferjee highlighted year-on-year steady progress in the US and UK markets, citing initiatives including collective industry-level collaboration to attract anchor brands back to Sri Lanka as crucial steps toward attracting and newer global buyers. “Sustained collaboration and strategic innovation are vital for relevance in this evolving landscape,” he urged.

Reflecting on the broader economic climate, Jafferjee noted how political transitions and economic reforms, including the IMF program and debt restructuring efforts, posed challenges for JAAF’s advocacy. Key wins during the year included continuation of the SVAT scheme, , revisions to electricity tariffs, progress in Eravur textile zone development and securing cumulation benefits for Indonesian fabric with the EU.Sri Lanka has also made an application to the UK for cumulation of Indonesian fabrics and is confident this will be granted in the next few months.

As JAAF looks ahead, Jafferjee outlined priorities including unlocking new market access, driving digitization to align with government business facilitation policies, advocating for tax reforms, and phasing out para tariffs. “We must strengthen ties with nations like India, China, the UK, and the EU to secure preferential access, while championing labor reforms to sustain competitiveness,” he emphasized.