FCCISL organises interactive meeting series with key ministers
View(s):The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) recently organised its first interactive meeting between its board members and some of the key ministers of the government at Shangri La hotel in Colombo.
Speaking at the occasion, its president Shirley Jayawardena said that this event is importance to the chamber in many ways. “Firstly this is our first public event after the COVID-9 pandemic marking the FCCISL’s resumption of normalcy. Secondly, this is the first interactive session with the government on policy directions which is a part of series of future interactive meetings,” she said according to a media release issued by the FCCISL.
FCCISL Secretary General/ CEO Ajith D. Perera made a power point presentation to ministers and the gathering explaining the past role of FCCISL locally and regionally. Unveiling FCCISL’s future expectations from the new government, he said the FCCISL expects preferential treatment to Sri Lankan entrepreneurs, capital instead of loans, best practices at state institutions, transparency for business deals, progressive national policies, fair distribution of national income, environment-friendly development, women participation in the economy, national drive for business start-ups/innovation/R and D, among other matters.
State Minister of Finance Ajith Nivard Cabraal said that the government is prepared to look at these expectations positively. “However we should remember when we give preferential treatment to Sri Lankan entrepreneurs we discriminate against some suitable candidates and their rights to contribute to the economy,” he said. On the topic of capital instead loans, he said the government already started on this course of action because it’s no point of granting a loan for a person who is already in debt.
He commented on the introduction of best practices at government and said even in the private sector only 5 per cent of the companies use best practices therefore it’s good for both government and private sector to introduce best practices to improve the efficiency.
On transparency for business deals, he said the question is who gives the bribery to whom. He reminded the gathering of the bribery connected to the bond scam during the past regime saying it was the private sector which was at fault.
Speaking on this occasion, Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena said one main problem the government has to solve is the loan repayment. He mentioned that the Yahapalana government within five years borrowed US$10 billion as opposed to $5 billion borrowed by the previous government. He also noted that the $10 billion was taken from international money markets at an exorbitant rate of interest.
Arundika Fernando, State Minister of Coconut, Kithul, Palmyrah and Rubber Cultivation Promotion and Related Industrial Product Manufacturing and Export Diversification, also attended the event.