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| Sunday, 2 May 2004 |
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Developing a strong SME sector base by HIRAN H. SENEWIRATNE The government plans to establish Information Communication Technology (ICT) driven science and technology centres in every village for the benefit of the Small and Medium size Enterprises (SME) in the near future, said Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Tissa Vitharana. He said that these centres would not only function as technology tranfering units, but also act as main information service providers for the SME sector. The objective of the whole system was to develop a strong SME sector base in the country with appropriate technology and knowhow, and to increase the efficiency and productivity level in the entire sector, Dr Vitharana said. Minister Vitharana said that to promote appropriate technology with high labour intensive with an affordable cost, would enable to generate more employment opportunities in the rural sector. Establishment of a solid economic base for the SME sector, would enable to alleviate the rural poverty to a great extent. Development of local science and technological capabilities in accordance with international standards to bridge the knowledge gap between urban and rural areas, could be implemented via these centres. The Minister said that a Bill for this purpose would be presented in Parliament soon to implement the project. The standard of science and technology was on the decline, since qualified professionals were leaving the country for greener pastures. The government would address this issue with immediate effect to create a conducive environment for them to make the optimum use for the benefit of the country, he said. However, the government would also take steps to expedite the e-governance programme, initiated by the previous regime, in a more meaningful manner to create a proper administrative mechanism in the country. "There should be an efficient and speedy administrative mechanism to expedite the country's development process. The e-governance was one of the contributory factors to ensure its proper administration," Minister concluded. |
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