Facebook helps Sri Lanka’s small businesses benefit from the power of digital tools

Facebook has successfully completed the first two phases of the Digital Saubhagya programme in Sri Lanka. It was implemented in collaboration with the government of Sri Lanka, civil society organisations, and various trade bodies to help small businesses recover and transform. 

Small businesses are the backbone of Sri Lanka’s economy, accounting for more than 75 percent of all enterprises. These businesses were heavily impacted during the pandemic and many have moved online to continue their business growth.

The #DigitalSaubhagya program commenced in March, prior to the Sinhala & Tamil New Year season in the country. More than 1,500 small and medium businesses from 15 districts received training on how to open business pages to engage with customers. Online sessions were conducted in both Sinhala and Tamil to raise awareness about the best social media practices for business. An informative story was published in newspapers to empower small businesses with guidance on how to build effective online presence.

Jordi Fornies, Director of Emerging Markets at Facebook, APAC said “Through our Digital Saubhagya campaign, we have tried to build awareness at the grassroots level. We have partnered with local organisations to bring more micro and rural entrepreneurs online so they can also benefit from digital tools, especially during these difficult times.”