An Asian Development Bank (ADB) fact-finding mission is currently visiting Sri Lanka from 27 to 30 April to review the progress on the formulation of the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) for the period 2026-2030, according to the Export Development Board (EDB).

Accordingly, a key meeting was held on 27 April at the EDB premises, where the ADB delegation met with the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, and the senior management of the EDB. 

The ADB team is led by Senior Public Sector Economist and Mission Leader Kanupriya Gupta, along with other officials. The mission reviewed the current status of the NEDP and discussed the way forward for its effective implementation.

During the discussions, both parties focused on several key areas, including: reviewing the status of Cabinet approval and the official launch of the NEDP Identifying technical assistance required from ADB for the implementation phase under Subprogram 2; and agreeing on immediate next steps to ensure smooth rollout of the NEDP ADB’s engagement in this initiative falls under its Policy-Based Lending (PBL) programme, implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development (IDB). 

The programme is intended to support Sri Lanka’s policy reforms and institutional strengthening, with a focus on improving trade competitiveness and diversifying export markets.

Both parties deliberated on key components of the NEDP implementation framework. These include the establishment of a high-level NEDP Steering Committee, the creation and operationalisation of a dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU), and the development of a robust monitoring and reporting system to track progress and outcomes effectively.