Under SWITCH - Asia program :

Five-hundred SMEs to receive financial help for four years

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

*Sri Lanka among 13 countries selected

*Food and beverage industry to benefit

*European Commission, the project donor

Sri Lanka was among 13 countries selected for the four-year supportive program SWITCH-Asia, initiated by the European Commission.

It is a public-private partnership that will benefit the food and beverage industry, Senior Assistant Secretary General Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chandrarathna Vithanage told the inaugural ceremony of the program launch in Colombo yesterday.

Five-hundred Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will receive financial assistance for four years Under the SWITCH-Asia program. This program is implemented by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to promote sustainable consumption and production to SMEs in the food and beverage industry. The European Commission is the project donor.

The objective of the program is to improve the performance of the industries through promotion of cost effective production techniques and best practices of sustainable production. It aims at minimizing the use of natural resources, toxic materials and emissions of waste and pollutants not to jeopardize the needs of future generations. The main benefit is derived through free consultancy and advisory services towards environment preservation.

The green manufacturing practice is very important for every industry, particularly the SMEs to cut down on the usage of natural resources such as water and energy, he said.

More than 50 percent of the industries in Sri Lanka fall in to the SME category and they make a significant contribution to the country’s industrial output. However, the majority of the Sri Lankan SMEs do not adopt cost-effective productive and environmentally sound production processes and handling systems due to lack of access to expertise and technical assistance.

The country needs a new direction to face the global challenges and convert the black economy into a green economy. It will also complement the Government’s Haritha Lankaprogram, said Minister of Environmental and Natural Resources Patali Champika Ranawaka.

It is necessary to work towards alternative energy resources as by 2059 the world will be using its last oil mine. A solution for the energy crisis needs to be found without delay as 86 percent of the economic activities are based on energy. The Arctic ice is dissolving fast and the global water levels will rise by 23 feet. This will be the result of global warming. The need of the hour is environment friendly projects, he said.

It is important to reverse the brain drain and India has achieved it. The country requires the services of its professionals abroad. It is time they return, he said.