Continuing the Transformation of Multipurpose Cooperatives

In my previous episodes, I described my experience as the Sri Lanka Institute of Cooperative Management General Manager, which was set up to assist Cooperative Societies with better management practices. I also described the role of the Swedish experts, who made a valuable contribution.

- BY SUNIL G WIJESINHA

Setting Up Self Service Shops

From the day the Swedish experts arrived, they suggested Self Service Shops for the Cooperatives. I was vehemently against it, saying that it would never work. There was only the Cornels Supermarket and the Anglo-Asian supermarket in Sri Lanka. At the same time, the state sector started the Sathosa supermarkets. The Swedes organised a tour to see the cooperative supermarkets in India, especially in the villages. I was shocked to see how well the large supermarkets were in the cities and how well very small village cooperatives worked in the villages. Globally, the biggest issue is pilferage (shoplifting). The city cooperatives left a small allowance for shortages arising from pilferage, while village cooperatives had no pilferage. If you get caught stealing, everyone in the village gets to know, and you are no longer in the category of a person of good standing. On my return, I took hundreds of slides and looked for a cooperative that would positively respond to the idea.

The DehiwalaMount Lavinia MPCS was willing to listen to me. I made a slide presentation to the Board, and they agreed to try the shop at Nugegoda Junction. The conversion was not exactly smooth, and my staff members were even threatened with a knife. Later, they explained why it happened; the "everything packeted" method would be a significant loss to the staff personally. "At present, we do not buy rice, flour, sugar or dhall because there is always a considerable amount left when we finish selling the contents of gunny bag in loose form since we sell by measuring on a weighing scale, and we take the surplus home. With the packeted sales system, nothing would be left for us".