The apparel sector, which accounts for a substantial portion of the country’s export income, has taken a massive blow due to the coronavirus situation which has brought the entire world to a halt.
President of the Small and Medium Garments Exporters Association (SMGEA), Bandula Fernando, said that their members are still not receiving the benefits of the relief package agreed by the government.
Speaking at a press conference held in Kottawa, Fernando said, “The financial concession given by the government has been very difficult for our members to obtain. That is mainly because all their assets have been mortgaged to the banks. Also, banks are granting this loan only for the payment of salaries during the months of April and May, which is clearly not enough to come out of this difficult situation. It is sad to say that some are even struggling to pay the salaries for the month of March.”
“President ordered that there should be no late charges for goods to be released from the harbor. Even the Chairman of the Ports Authority is following Presidents directives. However, the officers in lower ranks are not ready to release our goods without an extra fee for the delays which are caused due to the curfew. It’s highly unfair,” Fernando said.
“Our Association has provided over 100,000 jobs directly and indirectly. Our association exports about 30% of the total garment production of the country. There are about 80 factories island-wide under our association,” Fernando said, noting that the impact on the manufacturers registered under the Association will directly affect the country’s economy. Executive committee member of the association Ranjith Tissera said, “We have lost many orders and some orders have been postponed. Foreign buyers have also suspended payments for goods exported by our members. This kind of a situation makes payment of salaries of employees of these factories for April and May is a huge problem. With no money coming in, our members are also unable to pay back the capital loans they have already obtained. Our only expectation at this moment is to protect our valuable human resources.”
“Therefore, we are requesting from the government to provide us with concessions and give us some sort of relief so we can protect this industry which brings foreign exchange to the country and a huge loss for the country.”
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