The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka and the Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry have entered into a strategic partnership to enhance the Ministry’s institutional and technical capacity through the establishment of an Expert Support Unit, aimed at accelerating industrial development, strengthening entrepreneurship and SME competitiveness, and advancing evidence-based policymaking.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed recently between Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry Secretary Thilaka Jayasundara and UNDP Sri Lanka Resident Representative Azusa Kubota in the presence of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe.
The partnership will support the design and operationalisation of an embedded Expert Support Unit within the ministry, providing high-quality technical, analytical, and coordination expertise across priority areas including SME development, industrial zone development, trade and policy, digital transformation, data analytics, skills development, and international relations.
Sri Lanka’s industrial sector plays a critical role in driving economic growth, generating employment, and enhancing export competitiveness. As the ministry’s mandate continues to expand to address emerging economic opportunities and challenges, the Expert Support Unit will provide agile and targeted expertise to strengthen program implementation, policy innovation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic coordination.
Deputy Minister Abeysinghe said: ‘Sri Lanka’s ambitions for industrial growth, entrepreneurship development, and export competitiveness require agile institutions equipped with the right expertise and innovative approaches. This partnership with UNDP represents an important step towards strengthening our capacity to develop and implement forward-looking policies, support our entrepreneurs and industries, and deliver impactful solutions that contribute to national economic transformation. The Expert Support Unit will help us accelerate key priorities while strengthening the Ministry’s ability to respond effectively to emerging challenges and opportunities.’
Drawing on UNDP’s experience supporting innovative government capacity-building mechanisms, the initiative will facilitate the rapid deployment of technical specialists while strengthening systems for project management, monitoring, reporting, and performance measurement. The partnership also seeks to mobilise support from development partners and private sector stakeholders to ensure sustainable and impactful results.
Kubota said: ‘UNDP has been proud to support Sri Lanka’s reform agenda through innovative and agile institutional support. We are pleased to partner with the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development in establishing the Expert Support Unit, a results-oriented mechanism that brings specialised expertise directly into Government systems. 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. We look forward to supporting the capacities needed to drive this transformation.’
The Expert Support Unit is expected to comprise a multidisciplinary team of specialists embedded within the Ministry, supporting strategic initiatives while fostering knowledge transfer and strengthening institutional capabilities over time.