SME 2006 to introduce technology to rural areas

The International Machinery Exhibition SME 2006 will be held from September 8-10 at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The objective of the exhibition is to introduce technology that is suitable for rural micro and SME development.

Lack of technology and time saving methods is a major problem faced by the Micro and SME sector in the rural areas, said Secretary, Rural Industries and Self-Employment Promotion Mallika Karunaratna.

The government is unable to provide employment to all persons who enter the labour market. The support given for those self-employed is very low while the shortage of appropriate technology is hampering the self-employed from being competitive.

In India the rural industries and the Self Employed use appropriate technology to improve productivity which has made their goods competitive globally. For example in Sri Lanka it takes three days to boil rice while it is done in a day using the appropriate technology in India.

She said that bank funds are lying idle due to the shortage of projects to finance. Therefore the ministry together with SMED, a project of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries of Sri Lanka (FCCISL and Fredrich Naumann Stiftung) decided to hold the exhibition to promote technology suitable for the villages.

There will be more than 150 stalls displaying machinery, processes, methods, new technology and equipment together with institutions providing support for self-employment. It will also be a platform to introduce innovations of the government and private research institutions.

It will be an ideal opportunity for exhibitors to display and offer products and services, meet the prospective business partners, an opening for exchange of technology, enter into strategic deals, discussing and negotiating joint venture proposals and transferring of technology between local and overseas participants.

It will also provide networking opportunities with overseas exhibitors buyers and sellers and selecting and appointing of local agents and distributors.

This will be a good opportunity for school-leavers to get an idea of what self-employment avenues are available and how to establish a business.

Secretary General FCCISL Samantha Abeywickrema said that technology is key to developing industries, therefore we are hoping to hold this exhibition annually which will help the self-employed to adopt new technology and be competitive internationally.

There will be delegations from South India attending the exhibition while we will provide facilities for rural businessmen also to visit the exhibition and learn the required technology.

The exhibition will have 60 stalls to display technology, the latest machinery and processing methods of foreign participants. The Industrial Development Board (IDB) has appointed 141 enterprise promotion managers to educate SME entrepreneurs on adopting the latest technology, setting up business, financing and problem solving.

(S.G.)