Federation of Chambers hosts two-day SME Forum

Monday, 10 September 2012 01:48 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) hosted a two-day involved trilingual SME Forum.

The primary objective of this forum was to provide a platform for a productive dialogue between the SMEs, policymakers and other stakeholders. The forum was held concurrent to the ‘SME 2012, Machinery, Technology and Services Exhibition,’ which was held at BMICH.

The first day of the forum was on the theme ‘SME Policy Day,’ attended by SMEs, policy makers, services providers and prospective entrepreneurs.

K. Mahinda Siriwardena, Director General, Department of Fiscal Policy, Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Treasury of Sri Lanka, gave a presentation on ‘Government Policy and Strategy for SME Development,’ while German Mueller, Senior Advisor, GIZ – SME Development project and Kulatunga Perera, former Director (Commerce), Department of Commerce and Former Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the WTO, Geneva (2008-2010) were the two panellists. V. Sivagnasothy, Secretary, Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, delivered an insightful presentation on the ‘Role of the Ministry to Protect Traditional and Small Enterprises’ and Asitha Senevirathne, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, delivered a speech on the ‘Role of the Ministry to develop industrial sector in Sri Lanka’.

The SME Policy Day was supported by GIZ – SME Development Project commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The forum was organised in parallel to the exhibition that paved the opportunity to identify policy on small and medium enterprises, financial services and advancements of information technology.

The second day of the forum focused on the theme ‘SME Technology and Machinery Day,’ which attracted SMEs, research institutes and machinery manufacturers in related fields, service providers and prospective entrepreneurs. The presentations delivered at the forum were on ‘New technology for Better Productivity’ and ‘Take your business to the next level – An Introduction to SME Toolkit’ respectively by Eng. D. R. Pullepperuma, Chairman, National Engineering Research and Development Centre (NERD) and SME Unit, Nation Trust Bank. As an apex body representing over 56 chambers and associations from all four corners of the country, FCCISL has been venturing to many programmes, acting as an influential facilitator, leading lobbyist, mediator and promoter of SMEs and the entire Sri Lankan business community at large.