Basil welcomes private sector support for Divi Neguma

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has identified the elimination of poverty and ensuring social justice to 1.8 million people living below the poverty line as the biggest challenge Sri Lanka is facing.

This can be done only by strengthening them economically and helping them to stand on their own feet. The way to reach this goal and make Sri Lanka a poverty-free land by 2016 is through self-employment opportunities rather than the traditional way of giving them jobs, according to him.

Minister Rajapaksa said this at a ceremony held at Hyde Park, Colombo, early this week in connection with the distribution of 250 three-wheelers among self-employed persons in accordance with the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ vision.

The event was organised by the Self-Employed Persons Federation. Among the large crowd which attended the meeting were the association’s President and Colombo Municipal Councillor Mahinda Kahandagamage and TVS Lanka CEO Sampath Agalawatte.

The Self Employment Federation expects to distribute a total of 1,000 three-wheelers within the course of this year. The 250 vehicles were distributed under the third stage of the program, to which TVS Lanka and Orient Finance contributed. To date the association has distributed 650 three-wheelers.  Last December TVS Lanka provided 103 of them, each worth Rs. 460, 000 (market value).

There are nearly 500,000 three-wheeler drivers in the country while those providing spares and other services are 92,000. The number of those who directly benefit from this business by way of employment is 600,000. The indirect beneficiaries are nearly 2.5 million.

According to the Self-Employed Persons Association, priority will be given to persons driving rented three-wheelers for which they have to pay around Rs. 500 per day to the owner. Seventy-one per cent of those driving three-wheeler taxis in Sri Lanka own them. The remaining 29 per cent drive rented vehicles.  

Fixing meters on every three-wheeler distributed is compulsory, while special identity cards will be given to each of the beneficiaries so that the self-respect of the owner-drivers and the safety of passengers will be ensured.    

Speaking further at the event, Rajapaksa said that although the Government intervened initially to distribute three-wheelers at the first stage, he was happy that the private sector had now taken over the task. He added that this would help low income groups to stand on their own feet and live in society with dignity. He appreciated the assistance given by the Self-Employed Persons Federation in this regard.

Rajapaksa recalled that the self-employment program was launched jointly by the Economic Development Ministry and vehicles were provided under the first stage to do mobile marketing. Today not only have various types of vehicles been distributed for self-employment purposes, but the necessary environment has also been created. This has enabled them to go among the people and directly provide the required services.

“After ending terrorism, Sri Lanka is now moving towards new economic goals centred on the individual and family. It is the President’s vision that we should rise in the world as a country by raising the living standards of families, thereby ensuring village development, provincial development and eventually national development.”

The Minister expressed confidence that this program, launched in accordance with the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ vision, would pave the way for the people to enjoy greater prosperity in the years to come.

Kahandagamage delivered the welcome address, while State Resources and Enterprise Development Ministry Secretary Dr. Willie Gamage, Industry and Commerce Ministry Secretary Anura Siriwardena, TVS Lanka General Manager A. Azoz, TVS Lanka Sales Manager Chitral Anthony, and many members of the Self-Employed Persons Federation were present at the event.