Lankan entrepreneurs clinch top Asian award amid calls to embrace national SME policy

Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen (left) hands over an APEA 2018 award to Interpharm Ltd. Chairman & Managing Director Kalana Gamani Kodituwakku Hewamallika 

(centre) as Enterprise Asia President Dato’ William Ng (right) looks on in Colombo on 10 August

Sri Lanka has called its entrepreneurs to study and make use of the recently launched national SME policy.

“The National Enterprise Development Agency (NEDA) under my Ministry has introduced the new SME Policy for the first time in our SME history. NEDA is the leading state institution in Sri Lanka that facilitates development of Lankan entrepreneurs and SMEs,” said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, addressing the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2018 (APEA 2018) in Colombo on 10 August. The fourth in this series of awards to be held in Colombo, APEA 2018 honoured nine Sri Lankan entrepreneurs with APEA accolades. Over 1200 international business leaders and entrepreneurs have been awarded since 2007, in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and China.  APEA - the regional Award Recognition Program recognising entrepreneurial excellence - is an initiative of Enterprise Asia, Asia’s leading NGO for entrepreneurship. Joining the event were Tourism Development, Christian Religious Affairs and Land Minister John Amaratunga, Enterprise Asia President Dato’ William Ng, and International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody. The nine winning Lankan entrepreneurs at the APEA 2018 were: Anverally & Sons Chairman Mohamed Anverally; Milco Ltd. Chairman Eng. Abdul Cader Mohamed Zulfikar,; Bhathiya Group of Companies Managing Director Bhathiya Udumalagala; Interpharm Ltd. Chairman & Managing Director Kalana Gamani Kodituwakku Hewamallika; Lanka Sportreizen Chairman & Managing Director Thilak Weerasinghe; Global Rubber Industries Ltd. Executive Director Ananda Caldera, Bopitiya Auto Enterprises Founder Jude Rodrigo, and Kapruka.com Founder & Chairman Dulith Herath.

“The new policy focuses on many innovative aspects relevant to SMEs. It identifies high potential SME clusters, enabling environments, modern appropriate technologies, entrepreneurial culture, skills development, access to finance, market facilitation, research & development, and SME resource efficiencies. It is time for our entrepreneurs, especially the winning entrepreneurs today, to study it carefully and make use of it.  I am pleased to say that this policy is a result of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s economic vision statement to the Parliament. His vision was that local entrepreneurs should now enter the global markets. For this, the Government shall support in enhancing their productivity levels, and develop their competitiveness.  In fact, I am pleased to say that my Ministry has been actively working to not only develop SMEs, but even to create new SMEs. Our continued efforts to develop SMEs have been recognised internationally.  For example, as a result of the efforts of my Ministry’s Department of Commerce, we received a large support initiative of Euro 8 million for trade development, from which we are also allowed to strengthen our SMEs. I wish to thank the European Union and International Trade Centre, for extending valuable support to develop our trade and SMEs in many ways.”

“Entrepreneurship is the engine towards sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality,” said Enterprise Asia President Dato’ William Ng, and added: “Enterprise Asia organises more than 15 regional programs for its stakeholders annually, including but not limited to entrepreneurs, Governments, universities, youth groups and the community at large.”

 Sri Lanka’s SME framework policy is now available for download at neda.gov.lk (under ‘Resources’ > ‘Policies’).