Tokyo Cement partners IFC for small and medium enterprise development

From left: W. C. Fernando, Executive Director, Tokyo Cement; Dr. Harsha Cabral, Chairman, Tokyo Cement; Ms. Mary Porter Pesuchka, Global Director Cross-Cutting Advisory; and. Adam Sack, IFC Country Manager exchanging the MOU at the Tokyo Super House 

Tokyo Cement together with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is conducting business training workshops targeting 1,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that are part of Tokyo Cement’s network of distributors and sub dealers.  

Tokyo Cement Chairman Harsha Cabral said: “Tokyo Cement‘s commitment to Corporate Citizenship remains as strong as ever, and is in fact a cornerstone of the business. Our newest initiative, in partnership with IFC, demonstrates key aims of our outreach projects, namely, increasing connectivity with society, and building trust among key stakeholders. Thus, our corporate citizenship initiatives always contribute to Tokyo Cement’s long-term business performance.”

“IFC’s partnership with Tokyo Cement will support the growth of smaller businesses in Sri Lanka through improved business management practices,” said Adam Sack, IFC Country Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives. “As small businesses grow, they will create more jobs and strengthen the country’s economy.”

SMEs will participate in training workshops which will utilise IFC’s proprietary training products and methodologies to deliver skills training in the areas of human resources, marketing, finance, operations and personal productivity. The training workshops will be conducted island-wide, starting in the districts of Batticaloa, Ampara, Vavuniya and Mannar. 

Tokyo Cement and IFC’s program to support SME growth is partially funded through the European Union‘s Support to District Development Program (EU-SDDP), in their efforts to support the economic and social development in seven conflict-affected districts covering half a million people.

The goal of the program is to eventually equip all of Tokyo Cement’s 3,000+ dealer network with the necessary skills and knowledge to grow their businesses. As many of these enterprises are family-owned and operated, an investment into the education of their employees is a logical next step into building upon 30 years of relationships; strengthening bonds through intellectual and infrastructural support, and preparing the next generation for the new challenges of an evolving marketplace.

Corporate citizenship is part of Tokyo Cement’s DNA; their CSR initiatives range from the first-ever All Island Schools Quiz intended to encourage education and intellectual competitiveness amongst the nation’s youth, to the reforestation of mangroves along vulnerable coastlines and the rehabilitation of coral reefs with recycled concrete. 

Tokyo Cement’s work to incorporate sensible sustainable solutions into operations, lead to their pioneering the use of biomass power to generate 10 megawatts of renewable energy for their daily production needs. 

An industry staple for the last 30 years, Tokyo Cement furthers their contribution to the construction industry through technical skills and certifictions for masons and builders, to develop the quality of craftsmanship to match the standards of their highly-regarded and constantly expanding product portfolio.