Ceylon Chamber and GIZ promote biz links

The GIZ SME Development Program and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce concluded a three-day program which promoted business and social linkages between the SMEs in the Eastern and Central Provinces.

The Program titled 'SME ProLink: Unity through Business' was held from August 9 to 11 at Hotel Glee in Trincomalee.

During the conflict, businesses in the North and East were operating in isolation with hardly any links with their Southern counter parts and this trend continued even after the end of the conflict due to lack of a clear program to link up businesses in the respective provinces, a spokesman for the organisers said.

Hence the SME ProLink Program, an initiative of CCC and the GIZ (a German development agency) was aimed at providing opportunities for SMEs and businesses producing food and beverages (F&B sector) to promote social, cultural and business linkages leading to improved communal harmony as well as business expansion.

The program was also aimed at improving businesses through sharing of experiences between comparatively more developed SMEs of the Central Province and their counterparts in the Eastern Province.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the District Chambers of Commerce in the Eastern and Central Provinces worked together to attract 60 food and beverage producing SMEs to participate in the ProLink program.

Over 50 SME operators, 28 from the Eastern Province and 23 SMEs from the Central Province took part in the three-day program.

A cultural night and a networking dinner was also organized to foster fellowship and promote closer linkages among the SMEs.

The event included music and singing by a local band, depicting and promoting communal harmony and brotherhood among the three main communities.

It was followed by a drama 'Bhasa Moli' produced by the 'Janakaraliya' drama group lead by Parakarama Niriella, highlighted the issues and consequences faced by the three main communities due to the language barriers and also focused on the importance of national reconciliation.

The GIZ SME Development Program and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce with the District Chambers of the Eastern and Central Provinces will provide follow up support to make the initial contacts and links to long term business partnerships.