Business

SLCSMI pays tribute to assistors of SME sector

Published

6 years ago

2020/07/30

Sri Lanka Chamber of Small and Medium Industries (SLCSMI), incorporated by an Act of Parliament, as the apex body for SME sector in the country, initiated several measures to assist the SMEs, being the most affected sector due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, during last few months.

The actions included collaborating with other chambers and government institutions in identifying the affected businesses and providing assistance to overcome the challenges, negotiating with banks and financial institutions to ease the loan terms and extend credit facilities and lobbying government institutions including the Central Bank to roll out various relief measures including the extension of the moratorium.

Among the measures, the webinar series organized by the chamber was well received by the SME community and the Chamber gained overwhelming commendations from multiple stakeholders including several foreign agencies and enthusiasts. The webinar series covered a wider range of topics addressing the vital issues faced by the SMEs in the prevailing circumstances and the resource persons included top officials of government agencies, senior officers of leading banks, eminent personalities in the industry, representatives of various chambers and highly acclaimed scholars. The webinar series was moderated by Chaaminda Kumarasiri, who is the strategic adviser to SLCSMI, a leading management consultant as well as a strong advocate of MSMEs and entrepreneurship in the country.

The Chamber recently organized an event at The Kingsbury Hotel – Colombo, to pay tribute to the parties who joined hands with the Chamber in executing its activities during the difficult times. A key item in the event was the felicitation ofthe Minister of Small & Medium Business and Enterprise Development, Industries and Supply chain Management, Hon. Wimal Weerawansa for his yeoman service to support the SME sector and foster entrepreneurship in the country during the last several months, amidst the pandemic.

The President of SLCSMI Prof. Rohan De Silva, on behalf of the SME community, conveyed his gratitude to all the parties who worked hard in supporting the SME sector starting from H.E. the President Gotabaya Rajapaksha, Hon. Minister Wimal Weerawansa, government agencies, banks and other like-minded institutions and people. He emphasized the importance of having a National Policy for the SME sector and pledged his fullest cooperation to the government in driving the sector. Prof.Rohan De Silva also brought to the notice of the minister that, this is the first time in the history SLCSMI felicitating a minister, as the Chamber felt it’s necessary to appreciate the outstanding contribution made by the Hon. Minister to resolve many long overdue issues and his prompt intervention to initiate several policy measures to save the local industries.

Hon. Wimal Weerawansa pledged his commitment to make H.E. Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s mission towards a people-centric production economy a reality and commended the outstanding contribution of SLCSMI to the SME sector in the country. He highlighted several measures recently taken by him with the blessings of H.E. The President to save and serve the local industries; such as establishment of the inter-ministerial task force on industrial and enterprise development, curtailment of imports to protect local industries and resuming of operations at the state-owned Valaichchenai Paper Mill.

He further, indicated the government’s intention to establish a dedicated Bank for SMEs, with low interest rates on concessionary provisions and appealed the cooperation of the Chamber and other stakeholders in these endeavors.

The strategic adviser to SLCSMI, Chaaminda Kumarasiri emphasized the importance of the policy consistency between those ministries and government agencies working towards developing the local industries and those in the running of commercial activities, quoting an example from the history where commercial institutions had taken steps to import rice, while another set of agencies striving to protect local farmers. He also highlighted the importance of undisturbed flow of activities within government agencies based on an established road map, which is often hampered due to haphazard changes in the leadership mostly owing to shuffling of ministers.

Emeritus chairman of D. Samson & Sons (Pvt) Ltd.and a past president of SLCSMI Deshamanya Nandadasa Rajapakse, Chairman of IDB, Upasena Dissanayake and Chairman of NEDA, Anushka Gunasinghe also addressed the gathering while representatives of government agencies, banks, chambers, professional bodies, resource persons of the webinar series and over 60 leading industrialists in the country graced the occasion

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Business

“ViYASA” National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) to be opened tomorrow (22)

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/21

Priyan

The National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC), which is being established under the Presidential Secretariat with the aim of removing administrative and regulatory barriers that exist among government institutions in relation to investment and industry and expediting these processes, will be opened tomorrow (22).

The centre is being established on the President’s initiative with the aim of bringing about a positive transformation in the industrial sector. The centre will provide solutions to issues that arise in dealing with the government machinery when starting and operating a business, while also coordinating with the relevant government institutions to provide the necessary facilities.

The “ViYASA” National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) has been established at Building C-80, Hector Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Colombo 07, and is headed by Senior Additional( Secretary to the President, Seevali Arukgoda.

The centre will be opened under the patronage of Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando and Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, with the participation of Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The website https://nbfc.presidentsoffice.gov.lk is also scheduled to be officially launched on the occasion.

President’s Media Division)

Business

Charting a worker-centered AI future: Colombo hosts landmark ITF conference

Published

23 hours ago

2026/09/21

Thilina Walpola

The ITF’s first-ever AI-focused global conference and the first of its kind hosted in Sri Lanka

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Artificial intelligence and automation present serious challenges for workers – such as job consequences seen in docks and rail systems – and emphasises that workers cannot simply stop technological progress. By gathering young trade unionists in Sri Lanka, the ITF aims to establish key principles for engaging with technology, ensuring workers have a strong voice at the bargaining table, and encouraging constructive social dialogue with corporations and governments.

These compelling words from ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton underscored the urgent reality facing modern labor as rapid technological advancements sweep across global industries.

Confronting this shifting landscape head-on, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), in partnership with the National Union of Seafarers of Sri Lanka (NUSS), convened a ground-breaking conference on artificial intelligence in Colombo from September 15–17.

As the ITF’s first-ever AI-focused global conference and the first of its kind hosted in Sri Lanka, the landmark event marked a critical milestone in balancing technological innovation with worker-centered safeguards.

Representing over 16.6 million transport workers worldwide, the ITF designed the gathering to tackle the multifaceted impacts of AI on safety, operations, workforce development, and governance. Rather than resisting progress, the conference focused on proactive engagement, establishing guiding principles to protect workers’ rights and privacy both at sea and on land.

Key discussions centred on sharing best practices for upskilling and reskilling transport personnel, ensuring that human oversight remains central to AI-driven logistics, routing, and maintenance.

Reflecting on the historic nature of the event, Boa Athu, CEO of National Union of Seafarers Asia Pacific, noted that the conference represented a monumental moment as AI emerges as a permanent fixture of contemporary life.

Highlighting NUSS’s pride in hosting the event in Colombo, Athu emphasised that AI offers transformative potential when guided by strong social dialogue, equitable access to training, and robust governance safeguards.

Ultimately, the Colombo conference demonstrated that the future of transport must be shaped by those who keep the world moving. By uniting international labour leaders, affiliates, port operators, and regulators, the event laid a vital foundation for inclusive policy frameworks that champion fair labour standards, securing a powerful voice for workers in an automated tomorrow.

Business

Bridging the digital divide: Sri Lanka’s airport licence challenge

Published

23 hours ago

2026/09/21

Thilina Walpola

As tourism surges from digitally advanced markets like India, modern independent travelers arriving at BIA find themselves caught in a mismatch between cloudstored credentials and local paper-based transport protocols.

By Sanath Nanayakkare

As Sri Lanka experiences a surge in visitors from its largest tourist market, India, a modern administrative hurdle has emerged at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

While nations like India and Pakistan have successfully transitioned to fully digital driving licences and cashless ecosystems, Sri Lanka’s Department of Motor Traffic counter still requires a physical card to issue temporary local permits, The Island Financial Review learns.

This mismatch creates significant friction for independent travelers who rely entirely on smartphones and cloud-stored credentials. Tourists turned away at the airport – and sometimes redirected to the Werahera office in vain – find themselves unable to legally rent and drive vehicles. Consequently, this policy gap harms local car rental operators, causes tourist frustration, and deprives the government of valuable permit revenue.

The situation highlights a distinct irony: Sri Lankan motorists easily travel abroad using International Driving Permits that are readily accepted in India and Pakistan, yet local infrastructure cannot reciprocate due to outdated verification systems.

Recognizing the problem, Department of Motor Traffic officials have noted that upgrades and new equipment are currently in the works to integrate foreign digital platforms.

For a nation aggressively pursuing a national digitalisation drive, rapidly modernising these transport protocols is essential to keeping pace with global travelers and unlocking the full potential of its tourism economy.