The group are on a six-week tour to Australia, which was organised by Monash University and funded by the federal government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Participants are learning about how to expand their small businesses in Sri Lanka. The program will expose the government workers to the best practices of Australian enterprises.

Small businesses are an important force in employment creation, income generation and reducing income disparities in Sri Lanka.

The program was conducted on the theme of facilitating women entrepreneurship development in Sri Lanka, moving beyond micro-businesses. 

Warrnambool City Council economic development and grants officer Paul Pinkerton made a presentation to the group and spoke about small business support offerings.

“I talked about the business engagement that we do at council,” Mr Pinkerton said.

“We do 20 visits per month to small businesses and help support them.”

Mr Pinkerton said the group was interested in the city’s annual Small Business Festival, which is held in August.

“We also talked about marketing and communications,” he said.

Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration senior consultant Anura Lokugamage said 30 per cent of the country’s gross domestic profit was made up from small businesses.

The country’s Department of Census and Statistics reported during 2013/14 micro-businesses – defined as an enterprise employing one to four people – represented 92 per cent of all private enterprises in Sri Lanka, with 26 per cent of them being headed by women. 

The majority of these women-ran enterprises operate in rural areas.

This year’s program focuses specifically on developing Fellows’ skills on understanding and supporting micro-businesses in their divisions while aiding eligible micro businesses to become transformational entrepreneurs. The group also visited Tower Hill and Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum.  They will head to Canberra and Sydney next week.