The National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) has called on all apparel manufacturers to follow health guidelines and prevent a recurrence of the recent incidents.
The NCE reiterated the importance of effective enforcement of health protocols at all factories, a media release from the NCE stated.
Excerpts of the release:
“While appreciating the swift measures adopted by the authorities to minimise the impact on the present situation, we urge all to strictly adhere to health protocols and ensure that a similar outbreak will not occur in the future. We need to be mindful each time a ‘relapse occurs’ the country undergoes socio-economic challenges that take very long time to remedy.
“The apparel sector contributes 44% of Sri Lanka’s export revenue and provides employment opportunities to a large labour force in rural and urban areas of the country.
“The sector conforms to globally renowned ethical and good manufacturing practices (GMP). This has earned the sobriquet “Garments without Guilt” while catering to many internationally reputed brands.
“The enterprises export products to markets such as the US, EU and the Far East. With the Covid-19 pandemic, large and SME exporters adopted their product portfolios to match a wide range of protective apparel that were urgently needed by consumers. This earned the confidence and enhanced the reputation among buyers for continuing production during challenging times,” the release stated.