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| Sunday, 15 May 2005 |
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Business Chambers hail Development Forum 2005 by Hiran H. Senewiratne The Sri Lanka Development Forum 2005 will be held in Kandy from tomorrow till May 17. Representatives from over 50 countries and international donor agencies are expected to participate. The Forum will be inaugurated by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at the Earl's Regency Hotel. For the first time the Business Chambers have been invited to make representations on future development plans. Here is a cross section of views by heads of leading Chambers on the Forum. The Ceylon National Chamber of Industries President Nimal Perera said that the Forum is an excellent opportunity for the private sector to participate in the forthcoming Sri Lanka Development Forum. He said the government should have a proper development mechanism in consultation with the private sector to expedite the country's development process. Perera said that we have to obtain support from donor countries to expedite the tsunami reconstruction activities initially and then concentrate on other future development plans. The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) President Nawaz Rajabdeen said that the Forum is an excellent opportunity to obtain donor support for our poverty alleviation programs. He said that this is first time the private sector has been invited for a Development Forum, which is a healthy sign for the private sector to develop networks with donor countries. Rajabdeen said that private sector participation is a prerequisite at this juncture to put forward an effective development plan in the best interests of the people at the Forum. Many donor conferences were held outside Sri Lanka and holding this conference in Kandy would benefit the country in many ways. The FCCISL hopes to use this opportunity to network with donor countries to get assistance for Sri Lanka's poverty alleviation programs, Rajabdeen said. National Chamber of Commerce President Nirmala Samaratunga said that the government should make use of this opportunity to put forward effective poverty alleviation reports before the Forum. She said private sector participation in particular for this donor conference is a healthy sign for the country as it is the engine of growth. Samaratunga said that this is the first time that the private voice has
been recognised for a high level Forum of this nature. |
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