There are around 11,000 social enterprises in Sri Lanka, whose motive is social-oriented while making profits, Managing Director and CEO of Lanka Social Ventures (LSV), Dr. Lalith Welamedage told guests at the launch of the book ‘The State of Social Enterprises in Sri Lanka’ at the Hotel Taj Samudra last week.
The book is a collaborative effort of the British Council, United Nations ESCAP and the LSV.
Commerce and Industry Minister Rishad Bathiudeen was the chief guest. British Council’s Country Director Ms Gill Caldicott, UNESCAP’s Chief of Technology and Innovation and Trade, Jonathan Wong, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry M. Thajudeen, UNESCAP officials and senior officials of the Central Bank and commercial banks, a large number of representatives of the Social Enterprise sector, NGOs, SMEs and the media were also present.
The study culminating in the launch of the book is outcome of hard work and correlated data from all 25 districts in the country through LSV enumerators, Welamedage said, adding that they had identified 416 social organisations, SMEs and cooperatives for the study.
The study is the first robust investigation on the nature and characteristics of social enterprises covering over 350 organisations in all provinces, he said.
LSV is a ‘social enterprise’ committed to promote and support entrepreneurship and innovation for social development and environmental sustainability, a media release issued by the LSV stated. They support entrepreneurial and innovative individuals, groups, communities and also SMEs to develop and transform into successful and financially sustainable ‘social enterprises’, it said.