Business Times

UNIDO steps in to develop SMEs in North-East

By Bandula Sirimanna

The Sri Lankan government has decided to enlist the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) towards creation of a well developed industrial infrastructure in the North and the East and rehabilitation of 2,000 Small and Medium Enterprises in the region under a 5-year plan.


Picture shows a special platinum memento presented to the President during UNIDO DG’s visit was handed over by the National Director of UNIDO Nawaz Rajabdeen.

A senior official of the Ministry of Industries told the Business Times that they are planning to undertake measures to improve the socio- economic conditions of small companies and the people, mostly Tamils, in the two regions with UNIDO assistance. UNIDO will work very closely with the Ministry of Industries on a 5-year Industrial Plan for SMEs in the North and East for sustainable Industrial development. This assurance was given by Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General of UNIDO during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, he said.

"The opening of the A-9 road, lifting of the ban on fishing and access to funding are major incentives to restart businesses in the North and East," he added. UNIDO Focal Point National Director Nawaz Rajabdeen said that they have already commenced work Last year to support farmer societies in supplying tractors and machinery to increase the productivity and quality in paddy cultivation.

The beneficiaries are poor farmers in Trincomalee and Batticaloa. These farmers are monitored and supported by the respective chambers in the region.

Machinery worth over Rs. 100 million including two and four-wheel tractors, water pumps, shredders farming equipments was distributed among farmers in the region, he said. He revealed that the UNIDO Director-General has assured to support over 100,000 war widows in the regions in various sustainable livelihood programs through the regional chambers.

Top to the page  |  E-mail  |  views[1]
SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend
 
Other Business Times Articles
Calls for dialogue over GSP+
Cargills mulls Rs 400 million rice-bran oil project
MBSL to create rural business tycoons
SLT’s new board meets July 6
Luxury villas on isolated islands
Time to list state enterprises: Capital market expert
Child labour or necessary evil?
Comment - GSP+: Change the negotiators
Feature - CEPA or no CEPA?
Feature - Hazardous materials, isolation/evacuation methods and incident management
Plantations Minister targets trade barriers against Ceylon Tea
Islamic finance growing and running parallel to conventional finance
HP printers and desktops most used in SL corporates
EU increases aid to Rs.8.4billion for 'Renewed Partnership’ with Sri Lanka
Commercial Bank customers get discounts to lease TATAs from DIMO
Digital bathroom in SL ‘very soon’
New appointments of Asst. Governors at Central Bank
Ending worst forms of child labour by 2016
Asian Finance, F&G to implement new deposit refund schemes
IATA BSP scheme suffocates Sri Lankan Travel Agents
Low cost ‘flydubai’ starts Colombo flights
Deterring dengue
Asian Marketing Guru made Honorary Fellow of SLIM
PC House re-branded as PCH
LOLC wins Best Annual Report award by ADFIAP
John Keells receives high marks for sustainability disclosures
Harassment worse than terrorism for tourists to SL - new THASL president
tomorrow EDUCATION: Personalised and immediate
SMB posts net profit of Rs 158 mn. in year of consolidation
FCCISL workshop on UCP 600 and URDG 758
WSO2 launches 100% Open Source Cloud Platform
Odel's July IPO offers 11.52% stake
SL clothes, fresh food, textiles and electronic components globally competitive
YBSL supports Youth Entrepreneurs in Jaffna
SEC’s market microstructure enforcement delayed by a month
Environmental Assessment report for the North-East projects
CBL records 900% growth in the last decade
Japanese aid to boost agricultural productivity in Sri Lanka
Maliban Biscuit goes rural with a world class quality award
PUCSL to study off-peak hour power tariffs
Public servants in the Maldives highest paid in South Asia
'X' Detectives - Fighting Crime in Sri Lanka
Rapid progress at Oluvil port
Bank of Ceylon Debentures received over Rs.5 bln subscription
UNIDO steps in to develop SMEs in North-East

 

 
Reproduction of articles permitted when used without any alterations to contents and a link to the source page.
© Copyright 2010 | Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka. All Rights Reserved.| Site best viewed in IE ver 6.0 @ 1024 x 768 resolution