The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, which has taken up many roles including promoting exports and inviting high level business missions, recently announced two key programmes involving South Africa and Seychelles. While the Ministry said in a media release that an influential South African business delegation would be visiting Colombo next week, it also spoke [...]

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SL awaits top trade delegation from South Africa

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The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, which has taken up many roles including promoting exports and inviting high level business missions, recently announced two key programmes involving South Africa and Seychelles. While the Ministry said in a media release that an influential South African business delegation would be visiting Colombo next week, it also spoke of the government’s Divi Neguma development model being copied by Seychelles.

This national programme aims to establish over a million domestic economic units under the guidance of Ministry of Economic Development as the prioritized economic development programme of the Sri Lankan government. Special committees are formed at village, regional and district level to implement and coordinate these activities.

“We warmly extend our welcome to the strong business delegation led by South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development Ms Hlengiwe Mkhize, to Sri Lanka. I have no doubt that this visit will help further strengthen current trade levels of $65 million,” said Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka, just as the Ministry prepared for the visit.
The delegation comprises more than 30 leading business members of the Progressive Business Forum of African National Congress (ANC-PBF), the ANC’s influential business collective.

Meanwhile the Ministry welcomed  Peter Sinon, Minister of Natural Resources and Industry during a Colombo visit at the head of another delegation. Seychelles, which has the highest Human Development Index in Africa, said it was interested in the Divi Neguma model and wants to replicate it.

“I am excited. Minister Bathiudeen, I want you to send a consultative Divi Neguma delegation team to Seychelles. I want to introduce the Divi Neguma model to the more than 8000 people whose livelihoods we are trying to upgrade through community development schemes,” this visiting Minister was quoted as saying in the media statement.




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