REF's create private - public synergy at grassroots level
Small business owners in Sri Lanka, particularly those who reside in
provincial areas, face numerous constraints and obstacles as they
struggle to make their businesses successful. These include problems
that relate to marketing and packaging, business registration, trade
name registration, and other issues related complicated regulatory,
licensing and taxation requirements. The Regional Chamber Advocacy Forum
(RCAF), an informal grouping of the provincial and district chambers in
Sri Lanka, identified this lacuna in their numerous deliberations over
the past 3 years, and set out to find a solution.
There was previously no organized platform for marginalized local
businesses to raise their issues and find solutions at the local level.
With this in mind, the member chambers of the RCAF designed a new form
of local level private public dialogue, called the "Rural Enterprise
Forum" or REFs, and have been working to introduce these forums around
the country, with support from The Asia Foundation, under its Local
Economic Governance (LEG) Project.
The Rural Enterprise Forums are a structured and organized mechanism
which provides a platform where issues related to small businesses can
be discussed, shared and resolved with support from local level
government officials. The composition of the REF is intended to
facilitate the resolution of business related issues at Divisional
Secretariat level. The REF meetings are co-chaired by the Divisional
Secretary and the Chairman of the Pradhesiya Sabha, while the local
trade association serves as the secretariat, providing logistical and
administrative assistance. Managers of State and Commercial Banks,
Administrative Grama Niladhari, Forest & Environmental Officers,
representatives from Vocational Training and micro finance institutes
and representative from local NGOs providing business development
services, as relevant, form the rest of the committee, and are invited
depending on the issues on the agenda.
Local journalists who are able to draw the attention of Central
Government to local issues through news articles are also included from
time to time, as required.
Coordinated by the Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce &
Industry (ADCCIA), which serves as the secretariat for the RCAF, Rural
Enterprise Forums are being established in all districts except Colombo,
Gampaha and Kalutara. In the first phase, 2011-12, the REFs will be
established in 128 divisional secretariats in 11 districts. Ampara,
Batticaloa, Vauvniya, Jaffna, Mannar, Anuradhapura, Matale, Kandy,
Ratnapura, Badulla and Hambantota. The Anuradhapura Chamber is very
pleased that they have already set up 22 REFs in five districts - Ampara,
Badulla, Mannar, Anuradhapura and Ratnapura. Mr. P.B.Dissanayake,
Director General/Executive Officer, Anuradhapura Chamber proudly states
"we have already been able to resolve some of the issues which were
faced by the Pottery makers and Bakery owners regarding access to
credit, market and the quality of the product, benefiting a number of
vulnerable business groups at local level".
In reality, most of the issues faced by small businesses are those
which do not require intervention at national level, but rather, could
be resolved at Divisional Secretariat and Pradhesiya Sabha levels.
For example issues related to business registration, trade name
registration, environmental licenses, access to credit facilities and
other business development services. The objective of the REF is to try
to resolve these small issues within the purview of local level
officials.
The Regional Chamber Advocacy Forum is supported by The Asia
Foundation under its Australian International Agency for Development (AusAID)
Local Economic Governance (LEG) program, which is working side by side
with local and provincial governments to facilitate balanced economic
growth in the regions. As Dinesha deSilva Wikramanayake, Team Leader of
the LEG project notes, "one of the objectives of the Asia Foundation is
to engage sub national stakeholders in the policy reform process for
improved business climate". The Asia Foundation provides financial and
technical support for the establishment of REFs to create a unique
opportunity for the integration of district Chambers, local Trade
Associations, key grass root level bureaucracies and elected local
government officials in a meaningful dialogue. |
