As part of the economic diplomacy programme of the Mission in Kenya, to interact with the Sri Lankan investors who remit the investment proceeds to contribute to the foreign exchange earnings of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka High Commissioner to Kenya Velupillai Kananathan visited Hela Clothing factory in Nairobi on 31 August, 2021.
The Hela Clothing Ltd is a Sri Lankan owned ethical and sustainable apparel manufacturer with factories across Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Egypt and Kenya. The Hela Clothing is a pioneer in apparel manufacturing in Kenya since 2016 which has progressed in leaps and bounds to be Kenya’s largest intimate wear manufacturer accounting for 15% of Kenya’s total apparel exports.
Hela clothing has two production units in Nairobi, one producing intimate garments and the other personal protective equipment (PPE) and facemasks. Further the Hela investments in Kenya provided employment to 64 Sri Lankans and 4600 Kenyans. It is also in the process of establishing a fabric manufacturing unit in Kenya.
Dilanka Jinadasa, the Managing Director of Hela Clothing who received the High Commissioner at the facility, provided a tour around the production units and briefed him on the profile and performance of their investments in Kenya.
The Hela Clothing in Kenya remits their proceeds in the tune of US$ 130 million to Sri Lanka per annum. Managing Director said that the company works closely with global brands from design to delivery and has earned a reputation in Africa for its green initiatives, innovative business solutions and ethical and sustainable working environments. The Managing Director remarked that Sri Lanka should also support outward investments which generate foreign exchange revenue to the country.
He added that with the expansion of business interests in Kenya which are in the pipeline, the repatriation of proceeds to Sri Lanka will be increased. Further the Managing Director appreciated the support and guidance being given by High Commissioner Kananathan to Sri Lankan investors in Kenya.
The High Commissioner acknowledged that the outward investments are immensely contributing to the foreign exchange earnings of Sri Lanka in a sustainable manner and pledged that he would engage with the authorities both in Sri Lanka and Kenya, to facilitate all aspects in this regard.
0 comments: