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Supporting socio economic recovery of Micro, Small Enterprises in Sri Lanka during Covid–19 Daily News (via HT Media Ltd.)
In the Asia-Pacific region alone, as many as 81 million jobs have been lost due to COVID-19, and labour markets are facing significant slack in terms of unemployment, underemployment and inactivity.
“COVID – 19 has triggered an economic slowdown in Sri Lanka that has particularly hit the tourism, manufacturing and MSE sectors,” said Country Director for the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Simrin Singh.
She spoke to Daily News Business on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world of work - discussing adapting to the new norms of working, the future of remote working, the most hard-hit due to the pandemic and the plight of local Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs).
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Pic: Shutterstock Sri Lanka and China recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost bilateral apparel trade that was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The China National Textile and Apparel Council signed the agreement with Sri Lanka’s Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) to strengthen the working relationship between the two associations. Other key objectives of the agreement are to promote value chain cooperation in the two countries, increase mutual visits, promote exchanges and improve mutual trust among industry personnel. The effort was initiated by the embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing, JAAF chairman A Sukumaran and China National Textile and Apparel Council vice president XuYingxin, according to a Sri Lankan newspaper report.
In line with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ national policy framework and the concept of ‘Insurance for All”, the second phase of ‘Viru Abhiman’, an exclusive COVID-19 insurance cover was launched by Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) yesterday.
SLIC Chairman Jagath Wellawatta handed over the policy proposal to the President. The insurance cover proposal was then handed over to Minister of Health, Minister of Public Services, Provincial Council and Local Government, Ministry of Industries, Secretary of Defense, Deputy Chairman and Secretary of Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka by President Rajapaksa.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic spreading globally and locally at an alarming rate, doctors, healthcare workers, tri-forces, Sri Lanka Police, Public Health Inspectors, Samurdhi Officers, other related State staff members and private sector staff members are working tirelessly to control the pandemic situation within th
by Hiran H. Senewiratne
The decline in our total apparel exports would be by 25 percent this year on account of the pandemic. This would make a considerable dent in the US $ 4 billion foreign exchange earned annually through apparel exports. But the apparel sector will be able to come out of this crisis stronger than before due to government support, Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) chairman A.Sukumaran said.
Sukumaran was addressing a media round table conference on Tuesday at the Movenpick hotel in Colombo.
He said that JAAF expects further demand contractions that could result in reductions in apparel exports by an additional 30-40 percent after June, in its best-case scenario.