The Joint Apparel Association Forum of Sri Lanka (JAAF) called for intensive dialogue and greater stakeholder collaboration in order to arrive to resolve the current forex crisis, as well as legislative reform towards a more sustainable medium-long-term trajectory for Sri Lankan apparel.

These views were expressed at the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association, the apex body representing five associations encompassing supply chain partners, the export-oriented apparel manufacturers, buying offices and representatives of international brands in Sri Lanka.

Addressing the gathering, SharadAmalean, Chairman, JAAF and Deputy Chairman, MAS, commended the resilience demonstrated by the sector in the face of an unprecedented pandemic and outlined measures necessary for the sector to achieve its target of $8 billion in exports by 2025, while maintaining GSP+ and enhancing bilateral trade.

Meanwhile, outgoing JAAF Chairman, A. Sukumaran noted that the industry would likely face continuing disruptions to their supply chain over the coming year, making the need for continuous engagement across industry stakeholders an essential pre-requisite to developing long-term solutions to the industry’s current and future challenges.

The AGM saw the appointment of JAAF’s new executive committee for 2022/2023, which includes SharadAmalean, Chairman; SaiffudeenJafferjee and Felix Fernando, Deputy Chairmen; Noel Priyathilake, Past Chairmen; Azeem Ismail and Ashroff Omar. Duly Authorized Representatives of the constituent bodies: Pubudu de Silva, Fabric & Apparel Accessory Manufacturers Association; JatinderBiala, Free Trade Zone Manufacturers Association; AroonHirdaramani, Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association; HemanthaPerera, Sri Lanka Chamber of Garment Exporters and Welhem Elias, Sri Lanka Apparel Sourcing Association