A National Business Facilitation Centre has been established to help entrepreneurs resolve difficulties they face when starting or operating businesses, particularly when dealing with the State mechanism, according to Senior Additional Secretary to the President Seevali Arukgoda.
Arukgoda said the centre was established as a concept of the president to address issues entrepreneurs encounter in obtaining infrastructure such as land, water, electricity, roads and other facilities.
He said delays and difficulties in obtaining licences and approvals from various government institutions sometimes lead entrepreneurs to abandon their plans to start businesses.
The centre will initially focus on resolving existing problems faced by entrepreneurs by referring their issues to the relevant authorities and facilitating solutions, he said.
According to Arukgoda, the centre is planned to be developed in two stages. The first stage will focus on resolving existing issues, while the second stage will provide prospective investors with business proposals and other required facilities under one roof.
The second stage is expected to cover the provision of land and infrastructure as well as obtaining all business-related licences and approvals from a single location.
Arukgoda said entrepreneurs facing difficulties with the state machinery can refer those issues to the centre, which will intervene with the relevant authorities to help resolve them and facilitate the continuation of their businesses. (Newswire)