SLICM to commence fourth batch of Micro Credit Management Programme

14 July 2015 06:30 pm Views - 1499

From left: SLICM Vice President and Arpico Finance Director Lyle Peiris,  SLICM Treasurer and Alliance Finance Deputy Chairman Romani De Silva and Asian International Academy Chairman R. Muralidharan


The Sri Lanka Institute of Credit Management (SLICM) announced that it has successfully completed its third batch and that applications are now open for the fourth batch of the Certificate in Micro Credit Management Programme. 

The SLICM launched the Micro Credit Management programme to its first batch of students in December 2013 and the next batch is commencing from end of July, according to the academic body.

The duration of the programme is four months and is being conducted in the Sinhala medium. The programme covers key areas in micro credit management such as evaluation and appraisal of credit applications, client servicing, delinquency management as well as social performance indicators. 

SLICM Vice President/ Arpico Finance Director Lyle Peiris said, “Our journey has begun through the amalgamation of the best of class industry leaders. The SLICM is at the forefront of credit education and we are constantly striving to understand the credit aspects in micro finance and training in credit management.” 

SLICM Treasurer/Alliance Finance Deputy Chairman Romani De Silva stated, “We are happy to see the acceptance of this significant area of the finance sector. Micro finance is a very lucrative area of business for the financial services sector. However, the risks involved in this area are considerably higher as a result of limited asset backed lending. 

Furthermore, the social risk of this business model is high as the target market segment is from less affluent economic backgrounds. Hence, microfinance is very economically, socially and politically sensitive. As such proper education and training is an absolute must for anyone interested in working in the microfinance sector.”

The programme is facilitated by practitioners in the industry who have decades of experience. “The faculty along with SLICM have been able to very successfully cater to the needs of the participants and as such the feedback received from the industry so far has been very positive. The success of this cohort has encouraged SLICM to launch the fourth batch in late July 2015,” added R. Muralidharan, the Chairman of Asian International Academy, the study centre of Sri Lanka Institute of Credit Management.  

The SLICM was started in 1988 as a pioneering education project by the leading finance companies intending to fill a vacuum in the leasing and finance-related companies in Sri Lanka. In the year 2000, it was enacted by the Parliament of Sir Lanka and cited that the Sri Lanka Institute of Credit Management be incorporated under Act No. 07 of 2000. SLICM has over 25 years of experience in delivering educational programmes in credit management specifically designed to uplift the credit management skills of the Sri Lankan professionals.