Overview

The Partnership for Accelerating Results in Trade, National Expenditure, and Revenue (PARTNER) activity works to minimize bottlenecks to trade, bolster Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and strengthen the capacity of small and medium enterprises, private sector associations, and chambers of commerce to promote a vibrant private sector in Sri Lanka. 

Implementing Partner: Deloitte Consulting, LLC; Total Estimated Cost: $19 million; Performance Period: August 2019 – August 2024

Objectives

To mobilize public finances and facilitate trade to fuel broad-based economic growth in Sri Lanka, USAID’s PARTNER project aims to:

  • Improve public sector efficiency and resource management: PARTNER provides a wide array of on-demand technical assistance to improve government efficiencies, including process improvements, digitalization, efficient procurements, evidence-based decision making, and training and capacity building. 
  • Improve the enabling environment for trade and investments: PARTNER supports public and private sector stakeholders to design and implement measures to ensure compliance and streamline effective measures to increase trade and attract investments. 
  • Improve the capacity and sustainability of private sector associations, chambers of commerce, and civil society organizations: The project partners with Sri Lankan private sector and civil society to increase the capacity to effectively engage in international trade. 

Areas of Focus

  • ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS: PARTNER co-creates solutions and builds alliances for implementation by engaging early and often with the spectrum of stakeholders, from government institutions to local leaders, from businesses to civil society, and more.
  • IMPROVE PERFORMANCE: The project supports data-informed decision-making and evidence-driven improvements to public resource management and trade and investment processes and platforms. 
  • INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY: PARTNER integrates technology-enabled solutions to drive efficiency in service delivery and increase productivity of the public sector and supports the private sector to better integrate technology to achieve durable growth. 

Results

  • Conducted studies and assessments to set benchmarks, including reports on export credit insurance, trade analysis tools, trade-restrictive measures, de minimis regulations, digitization at trade-facilitating agencies, and implementation of selected provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).  
  • Conducted a ‘Trade and Labor Impact Survey’ that was the first comprehensive approach to measure the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sri Lanka’s private sector and the only survey focused specifically on the export sector.
  • Developed a ‘Trade Watch’ webpage on the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce website to help the private sector understand and navigate the trade-related regulatory and procedural guidance issued by Sri Lanka’s various trade oversight bodies.
  • Developed and launched the flagship Export Business Recovery Support Service (XPRESS) program to strengthen post-COVID-19 resilience and growth of small and medium enterprises through firm-level advisory support. 
  • Conducted a business requirement analysis to set up a sustainable, paperless e-licensing system.