The Sri Lankan clothing manufacturing and exporting sector is working towards a sustainable growth by meeting mid and long-term challenges. The immediate challenge in the next five years is to develop backward and forward linkages in the textile value-chain, said Mr Rohan Masakorala, Secretary General of Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), which is the apex body for the apparel manufacturing and export sector in the island country.

He said apparel industry is aiming to reach US $5 billion in exports from the sector by 2015. The major challenges faced by the industry will be to control costs, to operate within the current labour laws and to set up an effective supply chain.

The major challenges faced by the industry to bring growth in exports, in this connection we need to develop trade relations mainly with China, Japan, India, Brazil and also develop trade arrangements, particularly in the North American markets, along with which we need to increase productivity and offer something different in the markets. Sri Lanka is a high quality reliable destination. We have to focus on ethical and green manufacturing, along with which we also need to focus on speedy deliveries.