President pledges support for apparel sector

Pushes export-led growth and rural industrialisation

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PRESIDENT Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday assured the apparel industry of the Government's full support to overcome sectoral challenges and drive an export-led growth strategy, while inviting investors to expand manufacturing operations into rural areas to boost dollar earnings and economic activity.

The commitment was made during a high-level discussion at the Presidential Secretariat attended by leading apparel industry executives and investors, where participants reviewed key obstacles facing the sector and the support required to successfully implement the Export Development Board's (EDB) new export strategy.

The meeting comes as Sri Lanka seeks to strengthen foreign exchange inflows and accelerate economic recovery through export growth, with the apparel industry remaining the country's largest merchandise export sector.