The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is making steady progress in formulating the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) for the period 2025–2029. As part of this ongoing initiative, the second round of discussions was held on 2nd June 2025 at the EDB premises, following the inaugural meeting in April.

The forthcoming strategy aims to strengthen Sri Lanka’s export sector through a data-driven, diagnostic-based approach, drawing on insights and lessons from the National Export Strategy (NES) 2018–2022. Key focus areas include trade diagnostics, market diversification, integration into global value chains, and alignment with national development priorities.

Chairman/CEO of the EDB, Mr Mangala Wijesinghe, expressed appreciation for the ADB’s continued support and reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to achieving USD 36 billion in exports by 2030. He emphasised the importance of leveraging the country’s comparative advantages to drive sustainable and inclusive export growth.

During the session, ADB presented its proposed methodology for the NEDP, underscoring the importance of broad stakeholder engagement and a well-defined implementation roadmap. This partnership forms part of ADB’s Policy-Based Lending (PBL) programme, implemented under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, and is aligned with the Government’s vision of “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life.”

The NEDP 2025–2029 is expected to serve as a comprehensive strategic framework to guide Sri Lanka’s export-led economic transformation over the next five years.