They were billed as “garments without guilt” — cheap, good-quality lingerie, casual clothes and sportswear made in Sri Lanka and sold in stores such as Next, Tesco and Marks & Spencer.
For the past four years, such clothes worth billions of pounds have been imported, tax-free, to the European Union under a trade scheme intended to help Sri Lanka’s recovery from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
Within months, however, clothes from the country could disappear from British shops.
Although conditions in Sri Lanka’s factories are beyond reproach, the EU looks set to punish the Government’s alleged human rights abuses in the recent civil war by withdrawing the trade benefits.
The move threatens to destroy the livelihoods of 250,000 workers employed in hundreds of modern facilities, mostly clustered around Colombo, the capital. The garment industry indirectly supports up to a million of the country’s population of 20 million. Withdrawing the benefits, known as GSP (generalised system of preferences) Plus — would add 10 per cent to the cost of such products, forcing many retailers to seek cheaper alternatives. EU officials say that Sri Lanka has until tomorrow to respond to a damning human rights report, which concluded last month that the island no longer qualified for GSP Plus.
Marks & Spencer and Next confirmed that they sold garments from Sri Lanka but would not comment on the GSP Plus status. Tesco did not reply to requests for comment.
full article: times
Sri Lankan connection
Next Has a factory in Sri Lanka that “specialises in soft jerseys”, a category that includes T-shirts — and items with prints, washed finishes and “embellishments” — a checked belted tunic, £25
Tesco Parts of the company’s Cherokee range are produced in Sri Lanka. Tesco also buys wool from a Sri Lankan knitting mill and has a contract with a Sri Lankan button and zips manufacturer
Marks & Spencer From Sri Lanka come the retailer’s Per Una organic cotton bra range, part of its Autograph bra range and some of its school uniforms
podi miniha thamai thalen ne
garment wela wada karana ayata sorry dot com
lankwe anduwen EU ekata kapil la
EU eken lankwe ta kapil la
"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Albert Einstein
mama kalin kiwwa EU aya ITN balanawa kiyala
For the past four years, such clothes worth billions of pounds have been imported, tax-free, to the European Union under a trade scheme intended to help Sri Lanka’s recovery from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
Within months, however, clothes from the country could disappear from British shops.
Although conditions in Sri Lanka’s factories are beyond reproach, the EU looks set to punish the Government’s alleged human rights abuses in the recent civil war by withdrawing the trade benefits.
The move threatens to destroy the livelihoods of 250,000 workers employed in hundreds of modern facilities, mostly clustered around Colombo, the capital. The garment industry indirectly supports up to a million of the country’s population of 20 million. Withdrawing the benefits, known as GSP (generalised system of preferences) Plus — would add 10 per cent to the cost of such products, forcing many retailers to seek cheaper alternatives. EU officials say that Sri Lanka has until tomorrow to respond to a damning human rights report, which concluded last month that the island no longer qualified for GSP Plus.
Marks & Spencer and Next confirmed that they sold garments from Sri Lanka but would not comment on the GSP Plus status. Tesco did not reply to requests for comment.
full article: times
Sri Lankan connection
Next Has a factory in Sri Lanka that “specialises in soft jerseys”, a category that includes T-shirts — and items with prints, washed finishes and “embellishments” — a checked belted tunic, £25
Tesco Parts of the company’s Cherokee range are produced in Sri Lanka. Tesco also buys wool from a Sri Lankan knitting mill and has a contract with a Sri Lankan button and zips manufacturer
Marks & Spencer From Sri Lanka come the retailer’s Per Una organic cotton bra range, part of its Autograph bra range and some of its school uniforms
podi miniha thamai thalen ne
garment wela wada karana ayata sorry dot com
lankwe anduwen EU ekata kapil la
EU eken lankwe ta kapil la
"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Albert Einstein
mama kalin kiwwa EU aya ITN balanawa kiyala
