News
EDB intensifies online export promotions
Due to the difficulties of organizing physical export promotion programmes during this pandemic situation, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with Foreign Ministry and the Sri Lankan Missions overseas has initiated online sessions to enable foreign buyers and Sri Lankan exporters meet via virtual platforms with the objective of creating trade linkages between Sri Lanka and the rest of the world, as it is imperative to sustain the nation’s export promotional activities in spite of severe challenges caused by COVID-19.
Numerous B2B meetings were conducted by the EDB under this initiative in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Missions overseas and foreign trade chambers. The B2B meetings were conceptualised based on the products that have potential to access the respective markets. The Sri Lankan Missions overseas took the responsibility to introduce potential buyers/ importers for the selected products and the EDB coordinated with both the Sri Lankan Missions and Sri Lankan exporters to organize online meetings in an effective manner.
Initial webinars were conducted prior to the B2B sessions to make exporters aware of the market conditions/trends, tariffs, taxes and other regulations as well as available concessions through free trade agreements and other preferential trade arrangements in the particular market areas. This series of meetings covered all the regions -the Americas, Asia, the EU, and the Middle East for the identified potential product sectors.
Market focus
Targeting the Americas region, B2B events were carried out with buyers mainly from the USA, Brazil and Chile for product sectors such as personal protective equipment (PPE), tea, cinnamon, curry leaves, coconut oil, beer, fabrics, lingerie, shapewear, coir-related products. As a result, some exporters are currently discussing with foreign buyers to send samples while few of them are making arrangements for their first orders.
Another virtual business meeting was conducted between six buyers from Qoo10 online platform and Sri Lankan companies related to kids’ stationary and educational toys in partnership with the Sri Lankan High Commission in Singapore and Singapore Business Federation. Sri Lankan exporters in apparel and spice sectors benefitted by a B2B meeting programme jointly organized by the EDB and the Sri Lanka Embassy in Poland in collaboration with the Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in Poland.
For the Japanese market, three B2B sessions were held for coir-related products, cocopeat and ayurveda and herbal cosmetics.
Promoting agriculture-related products
Several B2B meetings took place with the participation of Sri Lankan companies in the spices and concentrates sector with buyers from the USA. Further, participant exporters benefited from the B2B events organized in collaboration with the Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK for the ayurveda and herbal cosmetics, coconut milk and vanilla product sectors.
A number of B2B meetings were conducted for the Sri Lankan coconut-based products with the Turkish buyers for sub-sectors such as desiccated coconut, cocopeat, activated carbon and coconut kernel products. Preliminary discussions have been held with the Sri Lankan Mission in South Africa to organize B2B meetings for edible coconut products, coir and growing mediums. Fruitful and productive business meetings were organized for coconut products and spices by the EDB and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Jordan.
Creating opportunities for industrial products
A virtual B2B meeting for the apparel industry for products such as men’s wear, women’s wear, kids wear, rainwear, hats etc. was conducted during the last two months, and many Sri Lankan companies reaped benefits by the meetings they had with buyers from France and Poland.
A business meeting session was also conducted between Sri Lankan boat building companies and a boat builder from Denmark. This was followed by additional meetings for the boat building sector in different markets and consequent to it, there is an ongoing discussion to form a joint venture between a Turkish ship builder and a reputed Sri Lankan ship building company in the near future. Furthermore, proposals from the Sri Lankan companies were shared with an Omani party to explore suitable collaboration in the boat building sector. B2B meetings for printing and packaging products were carried out with two buyers from India with the support of the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi.
Focusing on high-value exports, the EDB in collaboration with theirs Lankan Embassy in Thailand organized a meeting to create linkages between SLINTEC and a Thai auto manufacturer and a battery manufacturer to promote graphene for Lead Acid and Lithium Ion batteries. It is believed that these discussions will create more business collaboration with Thailand enabling Sri Lanka to penetrate this emerging market.
The EDB and the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai organized a virtual B2B session with the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association from 05th to 09th October in which 66 B2B meetings were held with 10 Sri Lankan companies. Further, business sessions were conducted among Sri Lankan electronics and electrical sector manufactures/exporters with buyers from Germany in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Germany.
Promotions for the export services sector
A key online event was held in August for the ICT/BPM sector in which leading Sri Lankan start-ups and product engineering companies successfully pitched for clients in Japan. The main objective of this event was to introduce 07 start-ups and product engineering companies to the Japanese market and create business linkages to strengthen Japan – Sri Lanka Business partnership. Forty-five (45) Japanese participants attended the event.
In order to highlight the potential of Sri Lanka’s logistics services, two webinars were held connecting the Sri Lankan missions in countries from the Far East and Europe. Hub operators who participated in those webinars are in communication with the Sri Lankan missions seeking further opportunities to connect with the business community in the targeted markets.
Forthcoming online B2B programmes
The EDB is eagerly exploring options to conduct B2B programmes with China for multi products in collaboration with the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Guangzhou, China, and Yunnan Commercial Office in Colombo. Additionally, the details of interested companies have been shared with the Bank of China for the online match-making event which will be conducted to coincide with the 3rd China International Import Expo in November 2020.
At the same time, discussions are ongoing to organize B2B programmes for the identified products such as automobile components, spices (red pepper varieties), natural rubber, kitchen utensils, porcelain products for the South Korean market and coconut, tea, betel leaves and rubber products for the Pakistan market. Another program is being planned for the Turkey market for multi sectors in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Embassy and the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK) while a separate interactive virtual conference followed by B2B meetings will be held by companies in the country’s logistics sector for the Federation of Indian Exporters Organization on 10th November.
As the online platform is the best mechanism to promote exports in the international market owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EDB will discuss with other Sri Lankan overseas missions to organize more webinars as well as B2B programmes. (EDB Press Release)
Drug controversy:
“Setting up state-of-the-art drug testing facility will cost Rs 5 billion”
Activists call for legal action against politicians, bureaucrats
Serious questions have been raised over Sri Lanka’s drug regulatory system following revelations that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority’s (NMRA) quality control laboratory is not accredited by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB), casting doubt on both the reliability of local test results and the adequacy of oversight of imported medicines.
Medical and civil rights groups warn that the issue points to a systemic regulatory failure rather than an isolated lapse, with potential political and financial consequences for the State.
Chairman of the Federation of Medical and Civil Rights Professional Associations, Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, said the controversy surrounding the Ondansetron injection, which was later found to be contaminated, had exposed deep weaknesses in drug regulation and quality assurance.
Dr. Sanjeewa said that the manufacturer had confirmed that the drug had been imported into Sri Lanka on four occasions this year, despite later being temporarily withdrawn from use. The drug was manufactured in India in November 2024 and in May and August 2025, and imported to Sri Lanka in February, July and September. On each occasion, 67,600 phials were procured.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the company had informed the NMRA that the drug was tested in Indian laboratories, prior to shipment, and passed all required quality checks. The manufacturer reportedly tested the injections against 10 parameters, including basic quality standards,
pH value, visual appearance, component composition, quantity per phial, sterility levels, presence of other substances, bacterial toxin levels and spectral variations.
According to documents submitted to the NMRA, no bacterial toxins were detected in the original samples, and the reported toxin levels were within European safety limits of less than 9.9 international units per milligram.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the credibility of local regulatory oversight had come under scrutiny, noting that the NMRA’s quality control laboratory was not SLAB-accredited. He said establishing a fully equipped, internationally accredited laboratory would cost nearly Rs. 5 billion.
He warned that the failure to invest in such a facility could have grave consequences, including continued loss of life due to substandard medicines and the inability of the State to recover large sums of public funds paid to pharmaceutical companies for defective drugs.
“If urgent steps are not taken, public money will continue to be lost and accountability will remain elusive,” Dr. Sanjeewa said.
He added that if it was ultimately confirmed that the drug did not contain bacterial toxins at the time it entered Sri Lanka, the fallout would be even more damaging, severely undermining the credibility of the country’s health system and exposing weaknesses in health administration.
Dr. Sanjeewa said public trust in the health sector had already been eroded and called for legal action against all politicians and public officials responsible for regulatory failures linked to the incident.
by Chaminda Silva ✍️
Air quality in Sri Lanka has deteriorated in recent days, with Air Quality Index (AQI) levels rising, particularly in the Northern, North Central, North Western and Western Provinces, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) said.
CEA Media Spokesman Dr. Ajith Gunawardena said a noticeable decline in air quality had been recorded, with AQI values ranging between 150 and 200.
Attributing the situation to transboundary air movement, combined with the activation of the Northeast Monsoon, Dr. Gunawardena noted that similar conditions had been observed during the same period in previous years.
The CEA is continuing to closely monitor air quality and atmospheric conditions across the country, he said.
Dr. Gunawardena warned that individuals sensitive to poor air quality might experience adverse health effects and advised them to seek medical attention if necessary.He added that the situation was expected to ease after yesterday.
By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon ✍️
Educational Reforms:
Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on Saturday accused the government of pursuing education reforms undermining parental rights and Sri Lanka’s cultural and religious values.
Speaking at a ceremony at St. Joseph’s Church, in Hanwella, the Cardinal said several programmes, currently being implemented, were weakening key socio-cultural institutions such as marriage and family. He took exception to the government’s decision to introduce sex education to the school curriculum.
Cardinal Ranjith said Sri Lanka’s civilisation had been shaped over generations by religious traditions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, particularly in relation to marriage, child-rearing and sexuality. He warned against abandoning these values in favour of, what he described as, foreign influences tied to external funding.
“No government has the right to interfere with the nation’s cultural heritage,” he said, urging political leaders to act within their mandate.
The Archbishop further alleged that ideas promoted alongside funding from United Nations agencies and other international bodies were eroding cultural and religious foundations, contributing to family breakdown and weakening respect between parents and children.
While affirming that children have human rights, he stressed that such rights should not be interpreted in a way that turned children against their parents. “What should exist between parents and children is a foundation of love,” he said.
by Norman Palihawadane ✍️
NMRA laboratory lacks SLAB accreditation
Air quality deteriorating in Sri Lanka
Cardinal urges govt. not to weaken key socio-cultural institutions
CID probes unauthorised access to PNB’s vessel monitoring system
NBRO identifies landslide risks in 14 districts
Danger of weak drug regulation
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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