📈 Harsha de Silva Urges Govt. to Overcome ETCA Deadlock with India

Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva has called on the government to advance beyond the 25-year-old India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) and finalize the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) to secure regional value chains and accelerate economic growth. • Key Demands & Economic Impact • Value-Chain Integration: Stated that Sri Lanka risks missing India’s rapid growth expansion; urged moving from first-generation trade pacts to second-generation agreements focusing on manufacturing value chains and production networks. • Services Sector Safeguards: Highlighted that the services sector accounts for ~60% of Sri Lanka's GDP. Called for a pragmatic approach with strict regulations and accreditation frameworks to protect the domestic workforce rather than outright protectionism. • Investment Certainty: Emphasized that a modernized framework is crucial to guarantee regulatory certainty and attract higher foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. • Trade Barriers & Obstacles • Non-Tariff Barriers: Insisted that India must resolve practical bottlenecks for Sri Lankan exporters, including product certification delays, rigorous testing requirements, and port inefficiencies. • Political Will: Criticized long-standing anti-ETCA lobbying that has stalled progress for nearly 15 years, noting that ETCA has been conspicuously absent from recent bilateral joint statements. • Bipartisan Support Offer • Assured that the Opposition will provide bipartisan backing for any final economic agreement with India, provided it safeguards Sri Lanka's national interest and expands its marketplace beyond domestic limits.