SMEs in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka : a comparative analysis with focus on barriers to growth

South Asian countries India; Pakistan and Sri Lanka are facing common problems ' There are issue of large population, unemployment, poverty bad governance, rising disparities of income and development. illiteracy and poor living standards, etc. SMEs may provide a solution to some of these rexed issues. However the growth of SMEs constrained because of several barriers sub as financial, marketing, lack of technology and misplaced government policies, etc. There for this study makes a comparison of three countries in areas of growth and development of the small scale sector to derive consistent policy measures. This paper highlights some progressive steps which can lead to high economic growth rates of these countries by systematically addressing fundamental issues of SMEs

Economic and financial feasibility of developing an electronic trading mechanism for carbon emission credits generated by projects under the Kyoto Protocol: a case study of Sri Lanka

This paper explores the existing trading mechanisms for certified emission reductions (CERs), a tradable commodity generated under clean development mechanisms (CDMs) of the Kyoto Protocol and proposes an electronic trading system to improve the trading efficiency and the liquidity of the commodity in Sri Lanka. Currently, 35 CDM projects are in pipeline in Sri Lanka and most of these projects are power generation plants based on renewable energy sources, as hydro, biomass and organic waste. These projects are financially viable, but involve large initial investments, long gestation cycle and long payback periods. These become attractive propositions in the presence of additional financial benefits generated by selling CERs. The proposed ETS is a new technology concept and will entail problems associated in technology development, transfer and assimilation in the systems. The paper examines some of these associated issues

Analysis of factors affecting business to business relationship between telecommunication operators and vendors in Sri Lanka

The main purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze factors that affect business to business relationships between telecommunication operators and vendors in Sri Lanka. This study is based on two models developed in telecommunication operator and vendor perspectives, and through in-depth questionnaire surveys conducted on employees working in telecommunication operator and vendor organizations in Sri Lanka. Analysis shows that relationship strength between telecommunication operators and vendors is determined by trust, commitment, adaptation, communication and satisfaction in the perspective of operators. Satisfaction of operators is determined by product quality, service support, delivery performance, supplier know how and value for money. In the perspective of vendors, relationship strength is determined by trust, commitment and satisfaction. Satisfaction of vendors is determined by economic factors and referencing from personnel networks. The higher management of telecommunication operator and vendor organizations can apply various strategies to improve these identified factors to further strength the business relationships between these parties

Technology issues in Pakistan's leather tanning SMEs

This research paper deals with technology and its resultant impact on Pakistan's Leather industry. The leather industry which includes the up stream activities of tanneries, as well as the down stream activities such as foot'\weir, leather garments, and other leather products contribute to the national economy in many ways like employment generation, equitable regional growth, social stability, and national income. In Pakistan the leather industry is the second largest export income generator after the cotton textile sector. The paper analyzes the current technology management issues faced by the industry and its various implications with special emphasis on environmental aspects. The analysis shows that lack of information about advancements in leather technology, poor in-house R & D and innovation, inadequate local capabilities, and non availability of pollution control technology systems are the major constraints affecting this sector. The SMEs are handicapped in many ways therefore do not have the resources to source, obtain, transfer, and adopt technology. The paper highlights the importance of addressing these issues and the need for integrating the stakeholders in order to develop proper mechanisms to allow the industry to reach its full potential. A national policy of support in areas of technology and marketing can propel this sector to make the country a world leader in leather industry. Keywords

Small and medium scale enterprises in informal sector in pakistan and Sri Lanka with research agenda

The Small and Medium Scale Enterprises/Industries (SMEs) are functioning as a lifeline in informal sector in Sri Lanka and Pakistan due to their significant contribution to overall economy in terms of employment, exports, tax income, innovation, equitable income distribution, social stability, domestic resources usage and regional development. However in both countries lack of first hand information is the main obstacle to understand various issues related to the growth and development of SMEs. The main data sources for this study are the latest national level Industry Census in both countries. The main objective of this paper is identification of issues related to the SMEs with special emphasis on definition and future research direction aspects. The final outcome of this paper is to show the issues emerging from national level SME data bases in Pakistan and Sri Lanka to formulate coherent policies and strategies to develop SMEs to their full potentials to accelerate economic growth and development in both countries. The issues raised and research directions set by this paper can be used to any South Asian country to develop their informal sector SMEs to full potentials

Identification of barriers for development of the Sri Lankan small and medium scale furniture and wooden products manufacturing enterprises, a case study based on the Moratuwa area

irrespective of the stage of economic development, small and medium enterprises (SME~) constitute and continue to be a main source 0/ growth of a nation. Sri Lanka is no exception to this phenomenon. However, it is a paradox that a large number of SMEs in Sri Lanka are struggling to survive in to days competitive environment. Absence of any networking and cooperation among the SMEs and lack of linkages with large scale industries have aggravated these problems. This study endeavors to ascertain the main issues faced by the Sri Lankan SMEs with special emphasis on the furniture and wooden sector. The study was conducted in the Moratuwa area which is a main hub of the furniture and wooden products manufacturing sector in the country. The study reveals that the SMEs are facing various obstacles in developing their business. These issues fall in the domains of financial management, human resources, product and process technology management, business regulations, intense competition from cheap imports, lack of infrastructure and so 011. In spite of various policy initiatives, concessions and incentives offered by successive Sri Lankan governments and the assistance [rom various donor agencies, SM1:,·.\·need further assistance to grow. The study concludes with recommendations II! overcome these obstacles to enable the 8MEs to develop their full potentials

Economic recovery from natural disaster : spotlight on interventions in tsunami affected micro and SMEs in Sri Lanka's Galle district

This paper aims to analyse as to how the benefits to Tsunami affected small industry were misplaced and carried wrong priorities. Besides the support provided was insufficient for an effective recovery. There existed many governance‐related problems. Overall recovery was at a low figure of 64.8 percent. The occurrence of the natural disaster of this high magnitude leaves a trail of lessons to be learnt by both the government agencies and also the donor community. There was no shortage of either the funds or the commodities, but it was sadly the governance and the sensitivity to the suffering of the people

Development of SMEs through clusters: a comparative study of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Clusters evolve as a mechanism to gain competitive advantage, when industrial units come together to share knowledge and supplement each other in enhancing strengths. The phenomenon of clustering is known to have created a high degree of networking, a market focus, an ambiance of high productivity, excellence, development of skills and creativity. These in turn can lead a firm to technological innovation and its applications. Large customers prefer to source from clusters which have developed networking to meet the challenges of high demand. A high rate of success of SMEs in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka can be traced in part to clusters. Some of these clusters arc quite large responsible for a substantial share of production. The paper takes up several perspectives discussing the evolution and the growth of the clusters, their spread in the three countries and how these have helped in the development of SMEs. Keywords: small and mediu

Carbon emission trading in India and Sri Lanka

Kyoto Protocol has established three trading mechanisms, namely International Emission Trading (lET), Joint Implementation (11) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which enable industrialized countries to achieve carbon emission reduction targets as economically as possible. Out of these three mechanisms, CDM is the most important mechanism for the developing countries. CDM allows the carbon emission reductions achieved in developing countries from environmentally friendly projects to be transferred to developed countries so that the developed countries could use credits from emission reducing projects undertaken in developing countries towards meeting their emission reduction targets. Several developing countries, including India and Sri Lanka have taken initiatives to develop CDM projects. However, implementation of CDM projects has met various difficulties. This paper examines some of these difficulties and suggests improvements to achieve better results