Sri Lanka Chamber of Small and Medium Industries meets IMF on SME development
Tuesday, 24 September 2013 00:00
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The Sri Lanka Chamber of Small and Medium Industries in its 50th year of existence is reaching out to industrialists in the more distant and remote villages in its endeavours to develop the micro, small and medium industries countrywide.
The chamber has tied up with Union Bank of Colombo PLC which is expanding its network of branches in the nine provinces. The chamber will enrol into its cadre, members of the SME clubs formed in the branches of the Union Bank. These new members will benefit from the services provided by the chamber to its members and will be afforded the opportunity to network with members of the chamber from all provinces to develop and grow business partnerships.Representing the members at forums of government policy makers, ministries, treasury, customs and other government statutory bodies, facilitate in the implementation of policy issues affecting the SME sector, national budget proposals, obtain reliefs, clear obstacles and hurdles created by such national policies, dissemination of business/investment news and afford opportunities promote investments, take part in buyer-seller meets, trade exhibitions and fairs and promote their products, join trade and business delegations abroad are some of the benefits the members will enjoy.
An annual excellence award competition is also held by the chamber to recognise members and non-members whose growth and contribution to the industry sector is laudable. A special award will be extended to the club members of the Union Bank. Consultancy services to club members on taxation, human resource management etc and training programmers to prospective investors and entrepreneurs will also be provided by resource personnel from the chamber as well as outsourced consultancy agencies.
Chamber President Aloy Jayawardene and two Vice Presidents, Mohideen Cader and Luvi Siemon held discussions with IMF Resident Representative, Sri Lanka and Maldives Dr. Koshy Mathai and Senior Economist Rajeev Wijeweera to seek assistance from foreign donor agencies for the task of uplifting and developing the SME sector in the provinces. A concept paper already prepared by the chamber for this purpose was handed over to them at this meeting.
