NCCSL boosts Jaffna SMEs

A delegation from the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) visited Jaffna on last week to distribute machinery and equipment required by the small business community to expand their businesses.

Machinery and equipment were purchased under the NCCSL business promotion fund sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Government. At a ceremony held in the Government Agent's Office in Jaffna, attended by Industrial Development Minister Kumara Welgama as the Chief Guest, machinery and equipment to 35 entrepreneurs were distributed.

Industrial Development Minister Kumara Welgama, said it was timely that the National Chamber of Commerce has come forward to develop the small and medium businesses in Jaffna who have been undergoing so much of difficulties for the last 30 years and the assistance given by the Chamber will help them to start up, develop and expand their businesses.

This will also help them to sustain their business activities and provide employment opportunities to the youth in the area. The Minister also said that the Government has a plan to develop the Jaffna Peninsula, work on which has already been commenced. He comprehensive said that arrangements are also being made to re-open the Kankasanthurai cement factory and the Paranthan chemical factory both of which have been functioning well prior to the ethnic conflict in the Peninsula.

NCCSL spent Rs. 6.5 Million to purchase machinery for the 35 entrepreneurs in Jaffna. Out of the 35 entrepreneurs 15 are engaged in footwear manufacturing and the others are on carpentry, food processing, construction, paper products, light engineering.

Another important feature of this program is the supply of machinery manufactured by Sri Lankan companies so that the country will not lose foreign exchange while giving a boost to another local industry.

The Chamber in addition to providing machinery and financial assistance will also make necessary arrangements to find markets for their products with its corporate members in Colombo. Chamber also took some large scale buyers to Jaffna to enable the identified small businesses to interact with for markets opportunities.

We have observed that since our last visit many members of the National Chamber have expanded their businesses to Jaffna while the infrastructure facilities are being developed rapidly in the North, a spokesman for the National Chamber of Commerce said.