Australia announces two new partnerships in Sri Lanka

Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka

Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Amanda Jewell, launched two partnerships under the Australian Government’s Business Partnerships Platform (BPP) to support COVID-19 economic recovery in Sri Lanka yesterday.

“Sri Lanka’s economy has been one of the hardest hit from the COVID-19 pandemic in the South Asian region. Small businesses, informal workers and women have been disproportionately impacted by the economic downturn in Sri Lanka,” Deputy High Commissioner Jewell said.

“The private sector will play an important role in Sri Lanka’s economic recovery from COVID-19 as a vital contributor of productivity and participation, which in turn creates economic growth. Through this Business Partnerships Platform, the Australian Government is supporting business-led economic growth and COVID-19 recovery in Sri Lanka,” she said.

The partnerships to be supported under the Business Partnerships Platform’s COVID-19 Recovery Partnerships for Sri Lanka includes: 1. Diesel and Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO): (a partnership with a web application platform called Pickmyload designed by DIMO, that connects small individual commercial vehicle operators with corporates and SMEs to cater to the transport of goods. The partnership will support the expansion of Pickmyload’s existing business into a new market segment that aims to benefit small business owners and independent drivers in rural and semi-urban areas.

The partnership will drive participation for people from low-income communities in the logistics industry, and open up access for women led businesses and SMEs with the convenience of the platform.)

2. WEBXPAY: (a partnership with an online digital payment platform that connects small businesses to consumers by offering payment gateway services and the BPP supports to develop and pilot the expansion of Webxpay services for MSMEs in rural areas in Sri Lanka. This partnership will support the MSMEs to formally register, develop their online presence and plan promotions to sustain their business operations and be resilient to economic shocks. This partnership will help support MSMEs to continue to trade through the COVID-19 pandemic as they can go online and be more competitive in the digital economy in future.”

Australia is committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s economic recovery in the COVID-19 environment. The two new partnerships align with Australia’s focus in Sri Lanka on supporting the development of broad-based, private sector-led economic growth. Through increased collaboration and partnering, businesses can deliver sustainable social impact while delivering commercial returns. The BPP is a flagship initiative of the Australian Government. It supports partnerships with businesses to deliver sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction, while also ensuring commercial returns for business. (Website: www.thebpp.com.au).