SME Machinery Fair from Sept 8-10

Small and Medium Enterprise Developers (SMED), the SME arm of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) established jointly with the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung (FNSt.) together with the Ministry of Rural Industries and Self-Employment Promotion will hold its first SME Machinery Fair from September 8-10 at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC). This year the theme of the exhibition is "Technology for Rural, Micro and SME Development"

Its objective is to strengthen SMEs to become competitive enterprises manufacturing good quality products and services at affordable prices and to promote innovative production processes in the SME sector, while generating employment opportunities.

The exhibition will be an annual event that FCCISL is planning to hold to assist SMEs by bridging the technology gap that prevail between the Western province and other provinces. Advancement of technology and expertise of foreign exhibitors in the related fields will also help our local SMEs to improve their knowledge and know-how thereby developing the local businesses.

The exhibition will include local and foreign participants. Along with Sri Lanka foreign exhibitors from India, Pakistan, China, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam will participate.

Samantha Abeywickrama, Secretary General has invited all small and medium entrepreneurs to interact with local and foreign SMEs and people from the related industries which will be beneficial to their businesses. The FCCISL spokesman highlighted the following categories of machinery that will be included in the exhibition:

Food processing; Coconut based product manufacture; Rice and other Agro processing; Dairy/farm equipment; Metal working Non ferrous/ferrous casting sector; Plastics and fibreglass, including recycling; Rubber and rubber products machinery; Leather/shoe making machinery; Tea machinery; Welding equipment; Coir processing machinery; Ornamental products manufacture; Wood working machinery; Fisheries and aqua culture related machinery; Pharmaceutical, medical and ayurvedic machinery; Range of machinery for rural and micro enterprises and other services and ancillary equipment.

The exhibition is organised in association with the Ministry of Industrial Development, Ministry of Investment Promotion and Enterprise Development , Department of Commerce, SME Bank and World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME).