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Change of attitude vital in public sector - SLIDA Chief

By Shirajiv Sirimane

"The government has the monopoly in most areas of business and therefore they tend to take things lightly and work according to their own agenda", said the head of Management and Organisation Division Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA) M. Thilakasiri.

Making a presentation at the luncheon meeting at the Outward Bound Trust of Sri Lanka recently at the Galle Face Hotel, Thilakasiri said that due to this negative factor most of the government institutions are not customer oriented. "The Government sector thinks that they are the kings and not the customer. The public sector employees do what they want and not what the customer demands."

He said that the common saying in the public sector is that "more work more problems and no work no problems. He said that this attitude has to change. "In countries such as Singapore and Malaysia it is the public sector that is more efficient."

Thilakasiri said that unlike the public sector the private sector knows that to survive they need the customer.

He said that the only training the public sector received in the past was by way of police training. "But in recent times some government companies have realised the value of team work and sent some of their staff for outward bound programs. These candidates have returned and have added new thinking to the government institutions."

He said that the outward bound program brings out the hidden talent is employees and it helps the company to build better teamwork. Senior Training Manager, Hatton National Bank Mrs. M. Rambukwella said that the outward bound program has helped some of their branches which were on 'red' to be among the best in the region. "I want to stress that 25% of the credit for this should go to the outward bound program."

Human Resource Manager Namunukula Plantations Ltd, K. Vijayakumar said these programs have helped their colonial style companies to reduce the gap between the upper and the lower class of workers. "The success from these programs has prompted us to train over 250 staffers at a cost of nearly Rs. 2.5 million last year."

General Manager Hilton Wibo Wilmink said that he too underwent this program and learnt many things. President of the Outward Bound Trust of Sri Lanka (OBTSL) said that the Trust was set up with the blessings of the then Minister of Youth Affairs Ranil Wickremesinghe but with the change of government the funds which came from the government were stopped. "We had a very bad time," he said.

He said that countries such as Singapore have realised the value of this kind of programs and the government had spent US $ 45 million to construct a centre in an island in Singapore. "Almost all citizens attend a program at this centre," said.

The Sri Lanka Business Development Centre (SLBDC) is a non-profit, non-stock company set up in 1984 with the participation of the public and private sectors to develop, strengthen and stimulate private sector business and industry in Sri Lanka. As a results oriented organisation, SLBDC is committed to provide a comprehensive package of professionals services in areas crucial to the development of enterprise, business, commerce and industry. Since 1996, SLBDC has a strategic alliance with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the premier Chamber of Commerce in the country.

SLBDC has gained a reputation as a Centre of Excellence with special competency in providing professional services in the broad areas of enterprise development, human resource development (management training), general and management consultancy including surveys/studies relevant to business and industrial development, business information and special assignments.

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