News
Fueling a way forward for small and medium enterprises
Providing financial and technical assistance towards the switch to renewable energy technologies
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka together with the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) has commenced an initiative to strengthen rural economies, increase forest cover, improve the living standards of rural women, and sustainable industries and small and medium enterprises in the country, by increasing the growth of suppliers for clean and modern biomass technology in line with the energy policy.
The UNDP said: “Sri Lanka aims to be a nation more resilient to shocks in the energy sector by 2030. The objective is to increase the power generation capacity of the country from the existing 4,043 MW to 6,900 MW by 2025 with a significant increase in renewable energy. Around 40% of Sri Lanka’s primary energy requirements are met by biomass energy, which is a significant source of energy for both households and businesses. Being an indigenous source of energy, it contributes to the country’s energy security and provides rural farmers with an extra source of income. Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has led to hardships for households and businesses to source the required energy for production. Renewable energy technologies are thus a timely solution to the challenges faced by many small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Building on experiences, best practices, and lessons learned from Phase I, the Biomass Project Phase II – Biomass Energy 2022 is an initiative of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka. The project aims to strengthen rural economies, increase forest cover, improve the living standards of rural women, and sustainable industries and SMEs in the country, by increasing the growth of suppliers for clean and modern biomass technology in line with the energy policy.
As a part of the project, a series of training programmes on renewable energy technologies for SMEs and financial institutions will take place in partnership with Standard Charted Bank (SCB). The second of the training programmes for 50 SMEs was held recently in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Speaking at the programme, Harsha Wickramasinghe, Acting Director General of SLSEA noted, ‘’In the present economic crisis, the hardest hit segment of our business community is undoubtedly the SME sector. The real issue affecting all these small businesses can be traced to the energy supply, either in the transport requirements or in their process energy requirements, which are mainly electricity and fuel for heating applications. Providing indigenous solutions, such as biomass and solar-based energy technologies, will contribute in no small measure to rebuilding our SME sector. In this regard, the support provided by SCB and UNDP could be very useful’’.
Addressing participants at the workshop, Sampath Ranasinghe, Programme Coordinator – Energy and Waste, UNDP in Sri Lanka emphasized that “UNDP is committed to supporting SMEs to increase the use of renewable energy technologies through sustainable models for energy production. In the prevailing economic crisis, renewable energy technology is the most cost-effective source of energy which will create new business models and opportunities for SMEs by enabling them to benefit from reduced costs and sustainability enhancements”.
The programme, which focused on entrepreneurs from various industries ranging from tea, spice, hotel, and food and beverage industries, was developed to increase awareness and build the capacity of SMEs on renewable energy technologies in the market.
Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing of Standard Chartered Sri Lanka, Anuk De Silva said, “As a global bank, we are constantly interested in promoting sustainability and green initiatives within our markets and across the globe. Keeping in line with the Group’s agenda on achieving net zero by the year 2050, we are honoured to have partnered with the UNDP to share knowledge and training on Biomass and renewable energies, which is a very timely and relevant need.”
The Biomass Energy 2022 project will increase the use of biomass energy in Sri Lanka for power generation, benefitting local households, farmers, and the national economy. The project will further expand biomass production to agricultural waste and develop collection systems to process 100,000 tons of agricultural waste annually, to be given to industries using biomass as an energy source. The next training programme for SMEs will be held in October 2022.
Religious and civil society leaders have called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to begin implementing the recommendations outlined in the Special Presidential Commission that investigated the Easter Sunday terror attacks without further delay.
Addressing a press conference held at the Centre for Society and Religion in Colombo, Lawyer Manoj Nanayakkara stated that 71 months have passed since the Easter Sunday attacks, yet justice has not been served for the victims.
“We are approaching the sixth anniversary of this heinous crime, which claimed nearly 300 lives and wounded twice as many others. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had promised to conduct a fresh investigation into this crime. In the meantime, he could implement the recommendations of the Special Presidential Commission that probed the Easter Sunday terror attacks. This would demonstrate that the current government is keeping its word to deliver justice to the victims,” Nanayakkara said.
He also commented on Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thero, who has been holding press conferences, claiming to have information related to the terror attacks and to know the masterminds behind them. “Our question is why he does not go to the law enforcement agencies and share the information he claims to possess. There is no purpose in making such statements at press conferences. As a citizen, his duty is to share this information with the investigating authorities.
Therefore, we believe that Gnanasara Thero is engaging in a political ploy at the behest of someone else. He should be aware that intentionally withholding information about a brutal massacre and failing to share it with the investigating authorities is an offence punishable under the Penal Code,” Nanayakkara said.Rev. Fr. Julian Patrick Perera, Rector of St. Joseph Vaz Deva Dharma Niketanaya, also addressed the press conference.
By Norman Palihawadana
The Colombo foreign ministry Friday formally announced Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka when he will have bilateral talks with President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
While in Sri Lanka,Modi is scheduled to visit Anuradhapura to pay homage to the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi and will inaugurate several projects implemented in Sri Lanka with the assistance of the Government of India, a ministry release.
A number of Memoranda of Understanding inked between the two countries are also expected to be exchanged during this visit, it added.
The Indian PM will be accompanied by the Minister of External Affairs, the National Security Advisor, Foreign Secretary and other senior officials of the Government of India.
It was revealed in the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) that a private company named ‘Savorite’ was issued Waiver of Registration (WoR) certificates to import 38 types of medicines in 2022 without the evaluation of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
The former Secretary to the Ministry of Health also informed the Committee that the former Minister of Health had given instructions to select this private company to import medicines in this way, parliament sources said on Friday.
This was disclosed when the COPE met in Parliament recently under the chairmanship of MP Dr Nishantha Samaraweera, to examine the Auditor General’s reports for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 and the current performance of the NMRA.
The Committee Chair informed the committee that on December 30, 2022, the NMRA had issued Waiver of Registration (WoR) certificates to a private company named ‘Savorite’ for the import of 38 types of medicines submitted through unsolicited proposals without the evaluation of the NMRA.
The Committee Chair said that the NMRA has abdicated its responsibility, stating that the purpose of establishing the NMRA is to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of those medicines and that it cannot be handed over to the Medical Supplies Sector.
Former members of the Board of Directors of the NMRA said that since the import of medicines through a special pathway with prior approval was carried out, the Board of Directors could not grant permission for it without conducting a proper evaluation. Therefore, they said that they did not accept responsibility in this regard.
Accordingly, this matter was discussed at length in the committee, and it was revealed that the former Minister of Health had instructed to select a private company called ‘Savorite’ to import the medicines in short supply for three months.
Meanwhile, the Committee also discussed at length the Cabinet Memorandum submitted by the former Minister of Health on September 26,2022. The Committee Chair inquired from the Ministry of Health officials about the fact that a large number of medicines would reach zero levels within the next three weeks from the date of submission of the relevant Cabinet Memorandum.
The officials who responded said that the information had been added to the Cabinet Memorandum based on the information obtained from the existing database regarding medicines. However, the committee Chair said that it was unacceptable for a large number of medicines to reach zero levels at the same time and that the relevant responsible officials had acted irresponsibly until such a level was reached.
The Auditor General, who spoke at the time, stated that the medicines that were ordered and to be received in advance have also been imported, citing that the medicines have reached zero levels.
Accordingly, the committee chair instructed the officials to submit a full report to the Committee on who were the officials involved in preparing this Cabinet Memorandum. The Chair further stated that a full report regarding the import of these medicines will be prepared by the Committee and submitted to Parliament, and that necessary action will be taken expeditiously.
MPs Mano Ganeshan, Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, S. M. Marikkar, Chaminda Wijesiri, Attorney-at-Law Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Chandima Hettiarachchi, Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana, Kosala Nuwan Jayaweera, Sudath Balagalla, Dr S. Sri Bavanandarajah, Lt Com (Retd.) Prageeth Madhuranga and Samanmali Gunasinghe were present in this committee meeting.
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