The world should know that Sri Lanka benefits from a large pool of highly skilled workers and managers and that her textiles and apparel industry has the potential for future growth, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion, said last week.

"Sri Lanka is a business-friendly country with many comparative advantages. The end of the conflict has boosted confidence in our country, but our victory has taken place in a global economic environment beset by a crisis of confidence", he said in his address as the chief guest at the opening of the Apparel Innovation and Training Centre set up under a MAS-NIKE partnership at Thulhiriya.

"What we need to do is try to secure vital advantages we enjoy such as the European Union GSP+, but also explore new and potentially important markets for apparel exports", the Minister continued. "An innovative and lean approach will determine to what extent we will succeed in weathering the storm".

"What is now needed from the industry’s leaders is to look at the future and formulate the best strategies to ensure that we are competitive and successful", he stressed.

"The first step is to have a clear understanding of the international environment, which is very competitive, and particularly the challenge we face from China, Vietnam and other manufacturers of garments. The industry needs to focus on niches where Sri Lanka has a natural advantage", Minister Priyadarshana Yapa noted. "Backward linkages such as the production of accessories also need to be promoted. I am pleased that already some enterprises including MAS Holdings have proceeded in that direction".

He said that whilst this is not a time for expansion, consolidation should be the primary objective. Leading enterprises overseas need to factor Sri Lanka in their plans for the post recession era that will possibly begin in mid 2010.

The Minister expressed his gratitude to Dipayan Dasgupta, Global Director of Manufacturing of Nike, Athul Ujagard, Director for Nike for India and Sri Lanka, Ms. Glenna Girtle, Director for Lean Management of Nike, Steve Castellanos, Director for Nike, Mahesh Amalean, Chairman of MAS Holdings and Shirendra Lawrence, Managing Director of MAS Active, for their enormous contribution towards Sri Lanka’s apparel industry.

He said the newly established Training Institute will help the Sri Lankan apparel industry to address the challenges it will face in the years or indeed decades to come.

"I understand that this new training facility has two elements to it. The first being a manufacturing plant that will make high quality sportswear, and Nike is in fact a world leader and a name associated with every sporting activity. This plant will provide employment to 200 workers".