The Export Development Board (EDB) yesterday entered into a strategic agreement with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) to implement the second phase of the Global Program on Textile and Clothing (GTEX2), aimed at enhancing the apparel sector. The five-year program, running from 2024 to 2027, is funded by the Swiss Government and organised in collaboration with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDCA) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), which provides technical assistance. A National Project Coordinator (NPC) has been appointed in Sri Lanka to oversee the project’s implementation.
The EDB, in conjunction with the Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka (JAAF), will work with the Swiss Confederation on GTEX2, which includes other participating countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia. The program seeks to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the textile and clothing industry to enhance their operational capacities, adhere to social norms and environmental sustainability, add value to products and services, and expand exports to both traditional and new markets. At the launch, Investment Promotion State Minister Dilum Amunugama stated that the program will drive the industry towards sustainable practices and bolster its global competitiveness by integrating advanced digital technologies.
“This partnership is expected to significantly boost Sri Lanka’s efforts to transform the textil.
