Role of the Export Sector in Sri Lanka’s Development

Abstract

Sri Lanka is a country conflicted over its resources by great powers in the past. Today the interest on Sri Lanka still remains the same and it is clear, how countries with powerful economies are eyeing to be authoritative over Sri Lanka. With independence and the establishment of embassies, Sri Lanka was given state recognition worldwide. Today embassies are increasingly positioning themselves as proxies in developing the export sector. However, it is not the case in Sri Lanka. As the export sector is systematically interconnected with diplomatic representation abroad, it is without doubt that the Sri Lankan government is on the lookout to uplift its export performance while coping with financial pressures of the country. But the responsible authorities do not seem to show the same interest. While potential Sri Lankan products like tea, rubber, apparel and other cash-crop exports dominate Sri Lanka's export economy, technology service exports have shown rapid increase as of recent times. This paper studies on the development of exports from 1949 till the present. It further analyses how exports are systematically related to international diplomatic representation and how embassies and high commissions of Sri Lanka can work to drive the export sector towards its improvement.