DEF will bridge the gap between private and public sector

The base of the economy of the country is the micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs (SME) and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) has been making a concerted effort to strengthen this base, Secretary General/CEO, FCCISL Samantha Abeywickrama said.

Making a presentation on their District Enterprises Forum at the monthly meeting of the Government Agents conducted by the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs at SLIDA, he said.

The role of SME is of critical importance to the Sri Lanka economy and in this sphere of developing the SME sector, the public-private partnership also plays equally important role, but unfortunately Sri Lanka lags behind in public-private partnership when compared to the other South Asian Countries.

Abeywickrama said the inequity persistent in the provinces could be vitiated by creating entrepreneurial opportunities in agriculture, business and industries in rural areas.

He stressed that this vital gap could be mitigated by the private sector involvement in the rural areas as they have the ability and impetus to undertake such responsibility with transparency and accountability.

He said that complicated regulations, excessive administrative measures and unrealistic taxation retard the speedy development of MSME’s.

The attempts of FCCISL in mobilising local businesses to conduct policy advocacy, is resulting in building a collective position on issues affecting economic activities enabling local private sector to participate in the policy process.

Empowering the local private sector to establish a dialogue with the state officials in the area to tackle the day to day problems faced by the private sector and engaging SME policy advocacy activities, would certainly bring about a change in streamlining the development of this sector, Abeywickrama said.

He said that although the advocacy process is naturally slow, measures could be enforced in the short-run for the private sector in the rural backdrop to obtain quick and tangible benefits. Major policy changes are not required to create this change.

For the policy advocacy to be constructive, Abewickrama urged the total state sector involve in the process such as ministries, government, provincial and local authorities, and their local representatives to be fully responsive to assist and co-ordinate to achieve desired goals.

He said that FCCISL has created a conducive platform for public private partnership through District Enterprise Forum established in 17 districts island-wide to address policy and regulatory issues which hinder private sector development in the region and success is forthcoming with active participation of public sector officials.