Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met with a delegation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at his office to discuss challenges faced by Sri Lanka’s small, medium, and micro-scale entrepreneurs.
The ADB team included Country Director Takafumi Kadono, Senior Country Economist Lilia Aleksanyan, and Finance Sector Specialist Uresha Walpitagama.
During the meeting, both sides held detailed discussions on the current state of the Sri Lankan economy. Representatives of small and medium-scale entrepreneurs were also given the opportunity to present their issues directly to the ADB officials.
MP Premadasa emphasized that entrepreneurship is a key driver of national economic growth and that supporting SMEs is vital for economic recovery and job creation.
He highlighted that, according to the Department of Census and Statistics, nearly 260,000 SMEs had closed or gone bankrupt by 2022 due to ongoing challenges.
The Opposition Leader warned that many more SMEs could collapse by 31st of December , 2025, if immediate support measures are not implemented.
He urged the ADB to provide assistance to help struggling enterprises revive operations and sustain employment across the country.
