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- Jan 8, 2011
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Tamil Nadu boycott: Sri Lankan exporters remain unruffled
ONLYA TEMPORARY SETBACK, WORK OF AN OVERGROWN BULLY
The government yesterday expressed confidence that the boycott imposed by the Tamil Nadu state on Sri Lankan exports of confectionery products such as biscuits and chocolates was only a temporary setback and that the matters would be ironed out before long.
Director General of Commerce P. G. Fernando told The Island that he was in touch with both the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi and the Deputy HC in Chennai and was confident that matters would be sorted out soon.
Sri Lanka Export Development Board Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said it was a only a temporary setback which could be overcome soon for Sri Lankan manufacturers to resume exporting their confectioneries to the South Indian markets soon. He said: "This is only a temporary setback. There were much bigger issues in terms of international trade such as the issues in Libya, Iran and Iraq which affected Sri Lankan trade and those issues were ironed out. So, this issue which was never of the same magnitude will also be sorted out with the passage of time and we will be talking to the right authorities and we will initiate the right dialogue."
Sri Lankas export volumes were US$ 11 billion for last year and it would would improve this year and Tamil Nadu was just a small market, he said.
One of the principal exporters of biscuits to Tamil Nadu- Ceylon Biscuits Ltd believed it was typical bullying by the giant neighbour.
"We have been very consistent with the exports to the Tamil Nadu market where we export four containers of Munchee Biscuits every month. This is grossly unfair on the part of Tamil Nadu government," Ceylon Biscuits Chairman Mineka Wickremasinghe told The Island in a telephone interview from Bangladesh yesterday afternoon.
It was typical of Tamil Nadu which was playing the role of the overgrown bully and that was bad in the light of Sri Lanka stretching its arm to India in almost all the significant imports such as vehicles, pharmaceuticals and a whole range of other products, the CBL Chief said.
Maliban Biscuits CEO Sales Ravi Jayawardena said that the Tamil Nadu market was virtually insignificant in the context of its exports which were spread over among 25 countries and that would not have no impact on its portfolio, despite the temporary setback.
John Keells Holdings Deputy Group Chairman Ajit Gunewardene too said that Tamil Nadu was an insignificant market for Elephant House Ginger Beer, which was manufactured by its member company Ceylon Cold Stores.
Indian High Commissions Commercial Counsellor A. Manish was not available for comment as he was at meetings with a high profile Indian delegation in Colombo.
The Island
ONLYA TEMPORARY SETBACK, WORK OF AN OVERGROWN BULLY
The government yesterday expressed confidence that the boycott imposed by the Tamil Nadu state on Sri Lankan exports of confectionery products such as biscuits and chocolates was only a temporary setback and that the matters would be ironed out before long.
Director General of Commerce P. G. Fernando told The Island that he was in touch with both the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi and the Deputy HC in Chennai and was confident that matters would be sorted out soon.
Sri Lanka Export Development Board Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said it was a only a temporary setback which could be overcome soon for Sri Lankan manufacturers to resume exporting their confectioneries to the South Indian markets soon. He said: "This is only a temporary setback. There were much bigger issues in terms of international trade such as the issues in Libya, Iran and Iraq which affected Sri Lankan trade and those issues were ironed out. So, this issue which was never of the same magnitude will also be sorted out with the passage of time and we will be talking to the right authorities and we will initiate the right dialogue."
Sri Lankas export volumes were US$ 11 billion for last year and it would would improve this year and Tamil Nadu was just a small market, he said.
One of the principal exporters of biscuits to Tamil Nadu- Ceylon Biscuits Ltd believed it was typical bullying by the giant neighbour.
"We have been very consistent with the exports to the Tamil Nadu market where we export four containers of Munchee Biscuits every month. This is grossly unfair on the part of Tamil Nadu government," Ceylon Biscuits Chairman Mineka Wickremasinghe told The Island in a telephone interview from Bangladesh yesterday afternoon.
It was typical of Tamil Nadu which was playing the role of the overgrown bully and that was bad in the light of Sri Lanka stretching its arm to India in almost all the significant imports such as vehicles, pharmaceuticals and a whole range of other products, the CBL Chief said.
Maliban Biscuits CEO Sales Ravi Jayawardena said that the Tamil Nadu market was virtually insignificant in the context of its exports which were spread over among 25 countries and that would not have no impact on its portfolio, despite the temporary setback.
John Keells Holdings Deputy Group Chairman Ajit Gunewardene too said that Tamil Nadu was an insignificant market for Elephant House Ginger Beer, which was manufactured by its member company Ceylon Cold Stores.
Indian High Commissions Commercial Counsellor A. Manish was not available for comment as he was at meetings with a high profile Indian delegation in Colombo.
The Island
