ADFIAP Consulting (AC) conducted two “SME Access to Finance” workshops for the SME and bank-members of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Sri Lanka (FCCISL) on March 25 and 26, 2011, respectively, at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The objective of the workshop was to provide SMEs with an overview of what the banks typically look into in evaluating SME loan applications, to share best banking practices in SME lending in the Philippines, and to introduce a new technology that would help SMEs organize and systematize their business processes for financial and operational efficiency, and consequently, enhance their bankability. Both workshops were well-attended, with 59 and 32 participants for the CCC and the FCCISL sessions, respectively.

Messrs. Harin Malwatte and Tissa Jayaweera, Secretary General of CCC and President of FCCISL, respectively, welcomed the participants and resource persons in their opening addresses. Mr. L. G. Perera, Consultant of DFCC Bank gave the keynote address where he provided a situationer of the SME sector and its policy environment in Sri Lanka and stressed the critical importance of SME access to finance in the survival and growth of the sector.

Other resource persons of the workshops were Ms. Corazon Conde, Head of ADFIAP Consulting, for the topic on the development of a business plan while Ms. Arlene Orencia and Ms. Cecile Ibarra spoke on financial management and SME lending and best banking principles, respectively. Mr. Scott Sproule and Ms. Eka Mardiarti of EStorm Technologies and Mr. Dinesh Fernandopulle of SYNAPSYS presented their respective web-based operations management technology for SMEs. For the FCCISL event, Mr. Thusitha Tennakoon, Secretary General, gave the closing remarks where he expressed his appreciation for the conduct and success of the workshop.

The conduct of the two workshops is a joint project of ADFIAP and the Confederation of the Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) in cooperation with CCC and FCCISL.