Sri Lanka : Textile & apparel industry is flying - Brandix

Brandix CEO Ashroff Omar gave a passionate speech at the 14th Presidential Export Awards, held at the Presidential Secretariat on August 23, 2007.
Speech: Furthering exports through Public-Private Partnership
Your Excellency, Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, Chairman and staff of EDB, Distinguished guests.
I am honored to speak at this prestigious occasion which gives national recognition to exporters for their contribution to the economic and social development of the country. This type of recognition also encourages many others to drive exports and qualify for this award.
The Export Development Board has a special place in my heart. It was somewhere in the eighties that I went on my first export mission to the US. It was both a stimulating as well as a humiliating experience. It was stimulating, because we met very important buyers and gained invaluable experience. Humiliating, because we found out our shortcomings the hard way. I remember we did not know even how to present our samples professionally. Most of us did not know the importance of punctuality. The officers of the EDB were like school teachers! I was happy to see an advertisement yesterday inviting participants for another similar program.
Today’s topic - Furthering exports through Public-Private Partnership - is the story of Sri Lanka’s Apparel Industry.