As a result of prioritising the vaccination drive for all employees in all 14 export processing zones (EPZ) across the country, the BOI has witnessed a sharp increase in total employee attendance of up to 80% as of July, since the beginning of this year.
Supplementing this, the vaccination drive has also been extended to reach adjacent ecosystems, such as supply chain facilities that EPZs depend on, providing additional muscle for the business continuity of manufacturing entities in the EPZs. All manufacturing facilities operating in the zones are now fully functional as of July 2021 and are catering to the demands placed by international customers through their respective order books.
BOI Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala said: “As 85% of Sri Lanka’s national industrial exports are derived from BOI enterprises, we consider it our responsibility and privilege to ensure that all facilities falling under our purview are able to operate seamlessly without hindrance. Ensuring the safety of employees of these facilities is our number one priority, and we are deeply encouraged by the sharp increase in attendance as a result of the vaccination drive implemented recently.”
“We are also extremely grateful and appreciative of the encouraging efforts made by all stakeholders in this regard, especially the COVID Task Force under the leadership of President Rajapaksa, Minister of Sports, Youth and Digital Technology and Enterprise Development State Minister Namal Rajapaksa, the Ministry of Health, and the Armed Forces, without whose guidance and support this vaccination drive would not have been a possibility,” Mohottala added.
The BOI provides nearly 500,000 direct employment opportunities across the country, stemming from both the 14 EPZs and other manufacturing facilities located outside the zones.
(FT)