As Sri Lankan textiles sector now stands bolstered by the recent offer of support from the Government of India,the domestic manufacturers,who were struggling a few years back,are successfully moving for a bigger slice in domestic demand.
"I am pleased to say that now,our textile manufacturers are fulfilling almost all uniforms needs of armed forces and 50%of all our education(School)uniforms,which was only 30%earlier due to lack of capacity.This is an encouraging trend in our annual$29 Mn national uniforms requirements and I thank our committed textile makers for not abandoning and leaving the sector in the face of capacity issues"announced Rishad Bathiudeen,Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka on 30 September.
Minister Bathiudeen announced this in the aftermath of his visit to several private sector uniforms manufacturing plants located throughout the Western Province,accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues-Bandula Gunawardena(Minister of Education)and Mrs.Pavithra Wanniarachchi(Minister of Technology and Research)on 30 September.
Under Minister Bathiudeen's guidance,his top officials have also begun work on the Sri Lanka Textile Strategic Plan(SLTS Plan)in which the Lankan manufacturers will be assisted to become the main unfirms suppliers in time to come."The Domestic Textile Allocation Programme for Uniforms Materials(DTAUM),which was born in 2004 under the Cabinet approval,is being fully implemented,starting this year.The textile revival SLTS Plan is to boost the entire sector capacity under the 2004 Cabinet approved DTAUM"said M.A.Thajudeen,Additional Secretary(Textile)of Ministry of Industry and Commerce."We are targeting 75%of school uniform production locally by 2015"he added.
Last September,visiting Indian Secretary(Ministry of Textiles)Ms Kiran Dhingra,leading the biggest ever textile industry delegation to Sri Lanka,at an official level meeting with Minister Bathiudeen in Colombo announced of India's intentions to liberalise its textile sector for Sri Lanka as well as much needed technology upgrade support to the sector:"Favourably considering Sri Lanka's official request made to Minister Anand Sharma during his visit to Colombo recently,Minister Sharma has now decided to increase the current five million piece quota given to Sri Lanka to eight million without any sourcing requirements imposed by India"she announced.
The private sector textile producers praised Minister Bathiudeen's Ministry-specifically Sri Lanka Institute of Textile&Apparel(SLITA)under his Ministry–for the strong support extended to the sector."We don't export the output at all.Our entire production is taken up by local demand"said Feroze Anver,Managing Director,Creative Textile Mill(Pvt)Ltd which is one of the leading uniform suppliers to Sri Lanka state institutions.
"We thank the Industry Ministry and Sri Lanka Institute of Textile&Apparel(SLITA)under the Ministry for continuously visiting us and helping to expand.Under the guidance of SLITA,this year,we invested Rs 200 Mn($1.54 Mn)for 120 new machinery units and training for our new factory coming up in Dankotuwa called'Dankotuwa Weaving Mills Pvt Ltd'which will commence in 2013.Once operational,this plant can output 30000 metres of new fabric per day"Feroze added.
Feroze'$9.2 Mn(Rs 1200 Mn)annual turnover Creative Textile Mill Ltd currently spins out more than 7000 Metres of raw fabrics per day using yarn imported from Vietnam,through its two plants in Wattala and Dankotuwa,thereby meeting approximately 8 Mn Metres of annual national uniforms need.
The 15 manufacturing firms entirely fulfill the needs of the country's armed forces,the Police,and the Prisons(except the Navy)as well as the school uniforms.Minister Bathiudeen has now successfully moved the manufacturers to produce 50%of 11.21 Mn Metres of fabrics($15.57 Mn,required by 2013 January)at a value of$7.25 Mn,by December 2012,while the rest is to be imported.
The supply of only 50%is due to the limited capacity of manufacturers in terms of manufacturing capacity,finance and management support."If our manufacturers can supply the 100%,we will be happier and ready to support"Minister Bathiudeen added."I am also pleased to say that the total uniforms demand from country's armed forces,the Police,and the Prisons are now met by our domestic manufacturers"Minister Bathiudeen revealed.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has estimated that in 2012,for country's armed forces,the Police,and the Prisons,uniforms valued at more than$14 Mn would be needed-all of which will be manufactured by Lankan textile firms engaged on this,numbering 15.All the school uniforms are made domestically using the"weaving process"-where only yarns are imported and everything else is completed here while for armed forces-police-prisons uniforms,"import gray process"is for local processing afterwards.
Source:
http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=116493
