Sri Lanka’s apex entrepreneurship developer operated by the state, the National Enterprise Development Agency (NEDA), is now on a major youth entrepreneur drive-and the latest node in Sri Lanka’s grassroots market linkage network to start operations will be serving the small time young farmers and fisher-folk in Northern Province’s Mannar District.
“We encourage our youth to be not a burden on the public resources” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen addressing the inauguration of the Vidatha Resource Centre in Museli, Mannar on March 16.
He was joined by State Minister of Technology & Research Lakshman Seneviratne.
“The National Enterprise Development Agency (NEDA) under my Ministry already works with Vidatha. There are many informal partnerships between Vidatha offices and our NEDA field network. The Ministry is working on serving this aim and its graduate entrepreneurship project the “Upadidharee Vyavasayaka Udaanaya” is a major project.”
In this project 215 graduates have been introduced to technology based new SME start-ups at a cost of more than Rs 32 million. 13 graduates from the total 215 are selected from North. The importance in this project is that proposals submitted by youth are evaluated on models of viability and financing potentials.
“More importantly, the businesses encouraged are new technology based. I encourage graduates of Mannar and Museli area too to join this program. The Vidatha centre launched today can help Mannar and Museli youth in farming and fishery sectors to link to main markets using latest technologies.”
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