Sri Lankan apparel sector studies Turkish model

29 Nov '12

2 min read

Sri Lankan apparel industry is studying the feasibility of following Turkish model to achieve the Government-set target of US$ 5 billion in revenues by 2015.

Mr. Rohan Abeykoon, immediate-past chairman of the Sri Lankan Apparel Exporters Association, said they have analysed the Turkish model and found it to be a good system to set standards, particularly in view of the trade that Turkish apparel industry enjoys in spite of enduring three-times higher production costs than the cost borne by the Sri Lankan garment sector.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the association, Mr. Abeykoon said the Turkish clothing sector has a greater concentration of small and medium enterprises. These enterprises run with support of large enterprises, especially in marketing and promotion of their products.

In comparison, Mr. Abeykoon said the model presently followed by the Sri Lankan garment sector is not sustainable in the long-run as it is based on an uneven playing field.

The Sri Lankan apparel sector comprises of competing producers, who benefit from low-cost and rely much on free trade agreements and subsidies extended by the Government, he added.

Condemning the inability of decision makers, improper production techniques and lack of consensus and general drive amongst producers, he said it is imperative for the Sri Lankan apparel entrepreneurs to enhance their focus on developing their business skill and service strengths.

Service, reliability, quality, innovation and delivery are the areas where Sri Lankan apparel sector is not up to the mark and hence it should extensively focus on these areas, he said.

The industry can sustain only when the growth is backed by long-term inclusiveness, meaning a wider section of the industry stakeholders should benefit from its development, he added.

In view of the same, he stressed on the need for developing a model that encourages entry of new players and focuses on development of the small and medium apparel manufacturers in the country.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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