The Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have partnered to establish a specialised unit to strengthen the government’s technical capacity in implementing industrial and entrepreneurship reforms.
The Expert Support Unit will be embedded within the ministry and will provide technical, analytical and coordination support across areas including small and medium enterprise development, industrial zones, trade policy, digital transformation, data analytics, skills development and international relations.
A memorandum of understanding was signed by Ministry Secretary J.M. Thilaka Jayasundara and UNDP Sri Lanka Resident Representative Azusa Kubota, in the presence of Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe.
The multidisciplinary unit is expected to support policy formulation, programme implementation, project management, monitoring and performance measurement. It will also facilitate the deployment of technical specialists and seek support from the development partners and private sector.
However, the ministry and UNDP did not disclose the proposed size of the unit, its funding requirement or a timeline for it to become operational.
Abeysinghe said that Sri Lanka’s industrial growth, entrepreneurship and export ambitions required the public institutions to be equipped with specialised expertise and more agile approaches.
“The Expert Support Unit will help us accelerate key priorities while strengthening the ministry’s ability to respond effectively to the emerging challenges and opportunities,” he said.
The initiative comes as the government seeks to improve SME competitiveness, strengthen export-oriented industries and expand Sri Lanka’s participation in global value chains.
The UNDP said the unit would bring specialised expertise directly into the government systems while transferring the knowledge and strengthening the ministry’s institutional capacity over time.
“The ministry’s reform agenda has the potential to create jobs, strengthen Sri Lanka’s integration into global value chains and accelerate sustainable economic growth,” Kubota said.
The partnership is also expected to improve stakeholder coordination and support the development of evidence-based industrial policies.
