NCC focusing on SDGs, inclusivity and equality

(Continued from Saturday)

Collaborations with Professional Institutes

With the view of developing business opportunities for both MSMEs sector and the Corporate Sector the Chamber singed MoUs with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA Society) Sri Lanka.

National Business Excellence Awards 2021

The most awaited business benchmark program, the National Business Excellence Awards 2021 (NBEA), was launched on the 16th of November 2021. Chamber initiated a fresh approach to structure the content of the NBEA Application to capture current trends shaping the industries and businesses across world with further emphasize on securing long-term sustainability through Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives required to create long-term value for all, not just for selected few.

The final event is scheduled in February/March 2022 – to be conducted with compliance to all health regulations. It is very encouraging to receive over 100 applications for the competition.

Sustainable Development Goals

As the country’s foremost Chamber in business development, NCCSL’s focus on business sustainability has grown gradually over the years. Its services to members and businesses, especially in the micro, small and medium sectors have an unmistakable undertone of sustainable development, with a strong focus on inclusivity, diversity and equality. Intrinsically, the National Chamber of Commerce is responsible for developing businesses to reach their potentials, while embedding a consciousness for social development and environmental sustainability into organizational actions, values and objectives.

We have embarked on a journey giving the emphasize on Sustainable Development Goals, inter alia, Quality Education – Ensuring inclusive and quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, Gender Equality – Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, Reduce Inequality – Reducing inequality within and among Sri Lanka, and Partnership for Goals – Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.

Wayforward

The all of our activities during the last year and moving forward this year also will be based on our Vision to be the leading source of services and assistance to businesses countrywide for promotion of domestic and foreign trade with special emphasis on the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. We will endeavor to make sure our strategies and activities moving forward also to be align with Sustainable Development Goals and upholding diversity, inclusivity and equality in creating long-term value for all in the society enhancing the power through unity.

In order to enlighten the stakeholders I would like to briefly elaborate on our expected activities in the near future.

NCCSL is planning to join with an international Webinar on “Connecting South Asia with Global Markets through Hong Kong” jointly organized by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) and Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI) on 10th February 2022.

We will be working with St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) organized by The Roscongress Foundation in Russia during June 2022 which is one of the largest events of this nature in the world.

NCCSL is planning to revive the Meet the Ambassador initiative physically which we could not continue due to Pandemic, however, it is expected to recommence the event moving forward in order to facilitate trade, exports and investments.

Further, we are expecting trade and investment delegations from Sultanate of Oman and Bangladesh in the near future with a view to facilitate trade, export and investment opportunities among our nations.

Further, NCCSL is expecting to launch entrepreneurship development program in both Sinhala and Tamil language throughout the island in order to uplift required skills of doing business, business planning, finding markets and finance, improve taxation knowledge and financial literacy of our SMEs.

I take the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all the office bearers, council members and the NCCSL team led by CEO/Secretary General Bandula Dissanayake; without your immense support NCCSL wouldn’t have achieved the success in every activity we engaged in.

Thank you.

(Concluded)