Apparel Institute chief says industry poised to take full advantage of GSP + | Sunday Observer

Apparel Institute chief says industry poised to take full advantage of GSP +

21 January, 2018
Sri Lanka Apparel Institute Chairman Prof. Lakdas Fernando
Sri Lanka Apparel Institute Chairman Prof. Lakdas Fernando

The Apparel Industry Suppliers Exhibition (AISEX) which is expected to bring together suppliers and service organisations in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka, will be held from May 10-12 at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre (SBMEC).

Sri Lanka Apparel Institute Chairman Prof. Lakdas Fernando said, “Reinvigorated by the provision of GSP plus, the apparel industry is on the brink of taking every foreseeable step to take full advantage of the benefits allowed under the scheme.

“This is a benefit that is time stamped. As the country develops and reaches a higher per capita income, we will lose this opportunity. This is the time to make full use of what has been given to us,” he said.

Sri Lanka did not have the capacity to become a large-scale manufacturing hub such as China, Bangladesh or India. However, the country had the potential of converting to a major supplier’s hub for the industry, with the added advantage and reputation of providing quality garments in the region, an attribute that needed to be marketed and taken full advantage of, Prof. Fernando explained.

Organised and managed by Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Apparel Institute (SLAI), the organisers hope it would be the platform in which the future development of the industry as a major sourcing hub for the apparel sector by 2020 would come to fruition.

Held every two years, AISEX 2018 the eighth edition of the exhibition will bring together a wide range of players, big and small, focused on the development of the industry together.

The Apparel Industry Suppliers Exhibition aims to bring all suppliers and service organizations in the sector under one roof and will focus on a wide range of textile machinery, accessories and services from many parts of the world.

AISEX will provide manufacturers a platform expand existing manufacturing methods and possibilities of increasing production volumes through state of the art innovative technology. The South Asian apparel market has been identified as the second largest in Asia, after China. AISEX will also focus on generating new opportunities closer to home for small scale local designers and manufactures an open door to enter the market regional and international market.

AISEX 2018 will provide the ideal platform for corporations to communicate among apparel related bodies in the region.

The Apparel Industry Suppliers Exhibition (AISEX) was first held in 1998. The latest innovations in apparels and global trends were displayed for the benefit of the Sri Lankan Apparel Industry. Twenty years on, the ninth edition of AISEX sets out to attract innovators and trend setters both domestic and overseas to access, meet, learn and experience.

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