Verité Research is a private interdisciplinary think tank engaging in strategic analysis and policy reform.
This year, Verité will be working with regional chambers and businesses to address policy issues through research-based advocacy and Right to Information (RTI) requests.
Accordingly, Verité held its first regional Policy Helpdesk and RTI Business Solutions Clinic for members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Trincomalee on June 28th.
The event drew the participation of 22 industry representatives belonging to various industries such as construction, tourism, fisheries, retail and manufacturing, engaged with both domestic and export trade.
The objective of the forum was to enable these industries to actively engage in policy reforms to resolve issues affecting the private sector in their region. The workshop was conducted in two segments (i) Policy Reform Session; and (ii) the Right to Information (RTI) Business Solutions Clinic. In the first segment, participants identified policy related issues experienced by businesses based in Trincomalee and discussed possible workable solutions for these issues. Several pressing matters affecting provincial business associations, ranging from lack of proper loan schemes to institutional delays in processing registration documents were identified at the workshop.
In the second segment, Verité presented how the Right to Information Act, operationalised in February 2017, can be an important tool for the private sector to obtain information for their business purposes. Members were taken through the steps of drafting a RTI request and were assisted in drafting requests on issues specific to their businesses.
The session was conducted by Subhashini Abeysinghe, Economist & Research Director, Vidya Nathaniel, Head of the Economics Team, and Rehana Mohammed, an Analyst fromthe Legal Teamat Verité Research. Verité will be conducting similar workshops in other regions over the course of the year, in order to create an enabling internal and external business environment conducive to Sri Lanka’s economic growth.
Verité’s Policy Helpdesk and RTI Business Solutions Clinic can be contacted by emailing policyhelp@veriteresearch.org or calling its hotline 0768985522
Taken from – dailymirror.lk