Cooperative Development – background

 

Cooperative development of Sri Lanka has a history of about 100 years. It began as a solution to the indebtedness of small farmers and farmers, business problems and other social issues.

 

Much of the population of Sri Lanka lives in rural areas. Since its inception, the Co-operative Movement has been making various contributions to uplift the living standards of the rural masses. Providing essential foods and scarce food items to rural consumers, distribution of dry rations and poor subsidies, acting as an instigator of thrift, saving and investor, and a social reformer (education and training), functioning as a provider of employment opportunities to reduce poverty, providing relief services in situations of national and natural disasters, providing solutions to the issue of rural debt, assisting to alleviate living burden of the general public and contributing for the growth of GDP of the national income can be mentioned as the major contributions of the Cooperative sector.

 

The co-operative movement was subjected to a recession in a way, due to the open economic system introduced to the Sri Lanka in 1977, and the inability of the co-operative movement to face the competitive market timely in accordance with the open economic system can be pointed out as a disincentive to the development of the co-operative movement.

 

The 13th constitution has entrusted a majority of the role of the co-operative movement has been entrusted to the provincial councils by the 13th amendment to the Constitution and it is the responsibility of the provincial co-operative development to direct the efficient use of the potentials of the provincial economic, social and cultural development in accordance with the national policy of the central government.

Department of Cooperative Development (Western Province)

 

According to the Co-operative Societies Statute of the Western Province, No. 03 of 1998, as amended by the Co-operative Societies Statute (Amendment) of Western Province, No. 04 of 2011, Provincial Department of Cooperative Development has been set up to achieve the key objectives of formulation, development and administration of cooperative entrepreneurs of Western Province, supervision, audition and  advisory of cooperative institutions, providing financial, technical and infrastructure facilities, providing co-operative education facilities and good governance.

 

The Head Office of the Department of Co-operative Development functions with three Assistant Commissioner of Co-operative Development, Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara. In addition, the co-operative Employees’ Pension Unit operates under the Western Provincial Cooperative Employees’ Pensions Statute No. 2010/06.

 

A pension scheme has been implemented in order to uplift living condition of the employees of all cooperative societies registered in the Western Province by utilizing a capital of Rs. 56 million under the Cooperative Employees Pensions Statute of Western Province No. 2010/06 passed by the Western Provincial Council, and by the November of 2017 3610 employees have received its membership. 325 retired cooperative employees have been granted with the pension at present.

Department of Cooperative Development (Western Province)

 

According to the Co-operative Societies Statute of the Western Province, No. 03 of 1998, as amended by the Co-operative Societies Statute (Amendment) of Western Province, No. 04 of 2011, Provincial Department of Cooperative Development has been set up to achieve the key objectives of formulation, development and administration of cooperative entrepreneurs of Western Province, supervision, audition and  advisory of cooperative institutions, providing financial, technical and infrastructure facilities, providing co-operative education facilities and good governance.

 

The Head Office of the Department of Co-operative Development functions with three Assistant Commissioner of Co-operative Development, Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara. In addition, the co-operative Employees’ Pension Unit operates under the Western Provincial Cooperative Employees’ Pensions Statute No. 2010/06.

 

A pension scheme has been implemented in order to uplift living condition of the employees of all cooperative societies registered in the Western Province by utilizing a capital of Rs. 56 million under the Cooperative Employees Pensions Statute of Western Province No. 2010/06 passed by the Western Provincial Council, and by the November of 2017 3610 employees have received its membership. 325 retired cooperative employees have been granted with the pension at present.

Department of Cooperative Development (Western Province)

 

According to the Co-operative Societies Statute of the Western Province, No. 03 of 1998, as amended by the Co-operative Societies Statute (Amendment) of Western Province, No. 04 of 2011, Provincial Department of Cooperative Development has been set up to achieve the key objectives of formulation, development and administration of cooperative entrepreneurs of Western Province, supervision, audition and  advisory of cooperative institutions, providing financial, technical and infrastructure facilities, providing co-operative education facilities and good governance.

 

The Head Office of the Department of Co-operative Development functions with three Assistant Commissioner of Co-operative Development, Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara. In addition, the co-operative Employees’ Pension Unit operates under the Western Provincial Cooperative Employees’ Pensions Statute No. 2010/06.

 

A pension scheme has been implemented in order to uplift living condition of the employees of all cooperative societies registered in the Western Province by utilizing a capital of Rs. 56 million under the Cooperative Employees Pensions Statute of Western Province No. 2010/06 passed by the Western Provincial Council, and by the November of 2017 3610 employees have received its membership. 325 retired cooperative employees have been granted with the pension at present.

By now, 1,412 co-operative societies have been registered under the Department of Co-operative Development of Western Province. In this context, there are various types of societies such as Multi-purpose cooperative societies, T. & C. societies, Industrial, fisheries, dairy, schools, hospitals and plantation societies. Further, nearly 10,000 employees are employed in this network of cooperative societies.

Functions carried out by this Department

  1. Execution of legal provisions mentions in the Western Provincial Cooperative Statute No. 03 of 1998.
    • Registration of cooperative societies
    • Regulation of cooperative societies
    • Development of cooperative societies
    • Auditing of cooperative societies
    • Investigation of cooperative societies
    • Legal and referee affairs with regard to cooperative societies
    • Liquidation of cooperative societies and cancelation of registration

 

  1. Guiding to provide the contribution which have to be provided by the cooperative movement to uplift the living condition of the people.
  • Carrying out functions related for the appointment of regional comities.
  • Identifying problems of registered societies and providing solutions.
  • Calling director boards and general assemblies from time to time and providing instructions.
  • Giving approval to acquire/ rent out fixed and movable properties of the societies.
  • Giving instructions for loans and investments.
  • Supervision on accounts and giving instructions.
  • Offering credits for the development of societies as a government intervener.
  • Giving instructions/ approval required to formulate development plans and giving instructions to operate.
  • Giving awareness to communities and school children on cooperative movement.
  • Operating a cooperative employee’s pension scheme.
  • Covering cooperative training needs required for department officers/ society officers/ society members by the cooperative training unit.

Following functions are expected to be carried out by the cooperative department for the development of cooperative societies with the objective of eradicating poverty and reducing unemployment.

 

  1. Establishing school cooperative societies and uplifting and supporting for school cooperative societies which are in the inactive level with the objective of obtaining youth power for the cooperative field.

 

  1. Helping for waste management through school cooperative societies. Following activities are proposed to conduct under that.
  • Cleaning plastic bottles and polythene collected in the home and taking them to school once a week.

 

  • Collecting them through the school cooperative society or an agent of the relevant multi-purpose cooperative society.

 

  • Paying a price for the school cooperative society/ school development society or the student according to the weight of such items.

 

  • Selling these plastic bottles and polythene which are collected by the school of the area by the multi-purpose cooperative society to a recycling institution.

 

  1. Developing co-op city, mini co-op city outlets jointly with C.W.E. and Uniliver Ltd. as matching for the needs of the public and generating new employment opportunities by distributing necessary consumer goods and uplifting consumer sector.

 

  1. Conducting training programmes on accounting to reduce lower knowledge on preparation of accounts of the societies.

 

  1. A programme of building homes for low income cooperative members and employees is being operated under the contribution of Western Provincial cooperative fund to eradicate poverty, and a sum of one lakh per one home will be provided by the cooperative fund and the remaining amount will be borne by the cooperative societies.

 

  1. Providing guidelines required for the programme of developing ten thousand home gardens and selecting and awarding best cooperative society garden, employee gardens, and member garden to encourage them.

 

  1. Selecting best dairy farmer by gathering Milk production cooperative societies of the Western Province and giving prizes to encourage them.

 

 

Other matters

  • People are provided with the facility of obtaining required information through the website of the Department.
  • Measures will be taken to hold a Cooperative Sports Festival annually to encourage cooperative employees.

 

  • The Department of Cooperative Development of Western Province has been administered under the below mentioned Commissioners and Registrars of Cooperative Development from the beginning to present.
Name of the Officer Administration Period
1.      Mr. P. Ranjith Perera 1989
2.      Mr. W.M.S. Wijekoon 1992
3.      Mrs. A.H. Irangani Samaraweera
4.      Mr. S.A.G. Sakalasuriya
5.      Mr. N.P. Karunarathna
6.      Mr. S.H. Hewage
7.      Mr. D.D. Upul Shantha de Alwis From 2009.07.29 to 2014.04.04
8.      Mr. B.N. Damminda Kumara From 2014.04.05 to 2016.01.12
9.      Mr. P.A.A.S. Weerasekara From 2016.01.27 to 2019.04.22
10.    Mrs.Ruvini A.Wijayawickrama From 2019.04.23 to  up to present

 

Staff

Designation Salary code No. approved by the Salaries and Cadre Committee
1.      Commissioner of Cooperative Development

(S.L.A.S. I)

 SL1-2016 01
2.      Deputy Commissioner of Cooperative Development

(S.L.A.S. II)

 SL1-2016 02
3.      Assistant Commissioner of Cooperative Development

(S.L.A.S III)

 SL1-2016 04
4.      Accountant

(S.L.Acc. S. III)

 SL1-2016 01
5.      Assistant Commissioner of Cooperative Development

(Departmental)

 SL1-2016 04
6.      Administrative Officer MN7-2016 01
7.      District Officer of Cooperative Development MN7-2016 07
8.      Cooperative Development Officer MN3-2016 246
9.  Public Management Assistants Service MN2-2016 31
10. Development Officer MN4-2016 85
11. Driver PL3-2016 05
12. Karyala Karya Sahayaka PL1-2016 06
 Total 393