The All Ceylon Small and Medium Enterprises Association says that the prices of all garments have to be increased by 30-31 percent due to the high price of raw materials.
Its chairman Niruksha Kumara says Rs. 200,000 the shipping company charged as transport charges for a 40-foot container when importing raw materials has now gone close to one million rupees.
He also stated that the amount of Rs. 6,000 charged per square foot has been increased close to Rs. 25,000.
He further said that in the current situation the local garment industry is facing a severe crisis and thousands of jobs are being lost.
The All Ceylon Small and Medium Enterprises Association states that the rural people were engaged in the garment industry using only a few sewing machines without being a burden to the country and now these people have been most affected by the current situation.
