The government expects to generate 10,000 new jobs, including both direct and indirect opportunities, through the implementation of the 15 different ‘Enterprise Sri Lanka’ credit schemes this year, an authoritative official said. According to the Director General at the Department of Development Finance of Ministry of Finance and Mass Media, A.M.P.M.B. Atapattu, the heads of all state and majority of private commercial banks have given their green light to join as Participating Credit Institutions (PCIs) under the program to be officially launched in March. “A total of 14 institutions have consented to join in implementing the scheme. These include all the state banks including the two saving banks, National Savings Bank and Sri Lanka Savings Bank and the Licensed Specialised Banks,” Atapattu said.
On the other hand, Atapattu highlighted that the 8 credit schemes launched last year to provide low interest rates to support SMEs and micro-level entrepreneurs has so far disbursed Rs. 16 billion worth of loans during the three months up to 31st December 2017.
Under a 2018 Budget proposal, the 8 credit schemes together with other government-assisted existing and proposed credit schemes was collectively named as the ‘Enterprise Sri Lanka’ Credit Scheme.