“The Government is ready with a well-prepared action plan to increase the present number of industrial entrepreneurs to 850,000 by 2030,” said Chairman, Industrial Development Board (IDB), Dr. Saranga Alahaperuma.
The total number of entrepreneurs is about 238,000 from a workforce of 8.5 million people.
He was speaking at a media briefing at the OPA auditorium in Colombo following the singing of an MoU between IDB and the Institute of Supply and Materials Management of Sri Lanka (ISMM) to launch Sri Lanka’s largest industry exhibition which concludes at the BMICH today.
Dr. Alahaperuma said over 20 organistaions are working on the mission creating awareness among people highlighting the importance of engaging in novel and innovative industries. “The IDB is ready to support all interested people to realise the dream of having their own industry. We will offer customised support service to every individual micro industrialist or any small, medium and large separately directly focused on their respective need of assistance.”
He said that macro level services such as advanced technical assistance, government subsidies, policy decisions and foreign liaisons are all possible to negotiate while financial assistance is also in the pipeline for micro and small industries.
Sarath Gamage of ISMM said, “We are very unfortunate for not having a single Development Bank in Sri Lanka while only the commercial banks deal with entrepreneurs”.
He said it is the reason that entrepreneurs are grumbling for lack of financial facilities provided by banks. Gamage insisted that it is a prime necessity that a Development bank be established immediately in order to achieve the objective of increasing the number of industrialists in all levels of Micro, Small, Medium and large segments whereas the IDB Chairman also endorsed it.
Dr. Alahaperuma said all the developed countries are in their developed status because they have a well-organised their industrial sector while even Bangladesh has 11% and Vietnam 16% of industrialists among the work force.
He said we have recovered soon from a bad situation, but we need to achieve these areas to get back to normal.