Global SME expert from powerful Swiss brand in town
Tuesday, 29 October 2013 01:08
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Immediate follow up to Schanzenbach’s 3 October Colombo visit
NEDA in high speed move to tap expert: Ineichen
Delighted. Lankans less tense, more relaxed: Ineichen
SGE also looking to enlist various local chambers and experts
A global SME expert is now in town, stirred by a recent visit to Colombo of his boss at powerful Swiss investment arm SGE and the National Enterprise Development Authority is now in a high speed move to enlist this expert in its SME drive.
“We are completely transparent. While it is true that I am looking for Swiss-Lanka SME investment collaboration, we also bring committed Swiss investments to the host country Sri Lanka, strengthen the SME sector and generate employment here,” said Switzerland Global Enterprise (SGE) Senior Consultant India, Beat Ineichen on 28 October in Colombo.
SGE Consultant Ineichen, who arrived in Sri Lanka on 26 October, was addressing a special presentation session with the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce on 28 October in Colombo.
Ineichen’s SGE brand, a powerful entity operating under the Swiss Government, is Switzerland’s centre of excellence for internationalisation and it is involved in exports, imports and investments (to Switzerland) and works very closely with Swiss SMEs to achieve these objectives.
Fact finding mission
Director Schanzenbach, currently in Sri Lanka on a fact finding mission, will explore emerging and other investment opportunities here, for Swiss investors. Also present during the session were Senior Advisor to the Minister Himali Jinadasa, NEDA Chairman N.M. Saheed, NEDA Director Lakshman Wijewardene, EDB Director R.M.P. Hewaliyanage and Swiss Embassy in Colombo Political, Trade and Press Officer Kanishka Ratnapriya.
SGE Consultant Ineichen’s fact finding mission correlates with yet another good news as a top Swiss firm, ANI Water Solutions, from Sierre, Switzerland, is now in Colombo exploring the domestic market for their solar powered, purified drinking water mechanism called ‘water kiosks’.
In 2012 Sri Lanka received Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Switzerland totalling $ 14.46 million.
Asian SME experience
“I have 17 years of SME experience in Asia alone and though I am somewhat distantly located from Sri Lanka. I am here on a fact finding mission as a follow up to 03 October visit of Wolfgang Schanzenbach, Regional Director Asia Pacific of Switzerland Global Enterprise (SGE) who met Minister Bathiudeen and being highly pleased, decided that I need to make a visit to Colombo. I am hopeful that we can come for more closer collaboration with Sri Lanka,” stated Ineichen. He added: “We are completely transparent. While it is true that I am looking for Swiss and Lanka SME investment collaboration, we also bring committed Swiss investments to the host country Sri Lanka, strengthen the SME sector and generate employment here. People in Sri Lanka are lot less tense and more relaxed now that they were a few years back when I visited in 1999, which I am so delighted to see.” Both NEDA Director Lakshman Wijewardene and EDB Director R.M.P.Hewaliyanage made presentations to Ineichen on Lankan SMEs and ‘Reflection Sri Lanka’, the trade, tourism and investment exposition to be held parallel to the forthcoming CHOGM.
