The Commercial Bank of Ceylon recently conducted a programme to enhance the proficiency in rice milling of rice millers in the deep south of Sri Lanka under the Bank’s initiative to assist micro businesses and SMEs countrywide by providing them with essential knowledge.

The programme, organised by the Bank’s Tissamaharama Agriculture and Micro Finance Unit (AMFU) with the assistance of the Bank’s Ambalantota, Hambantota and Tissamaharama branches, benefitted 40 rice millers with knowledge on developing their rice mills and optimising their resources. It was conducted in collaboration with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Inland Revenue Department and the Institute of Post-Harvest Technologies.

Officials of the Central Bank conducted a session on financial literacy development covering fund management, the difference between formal and informal sector borrowings, how to identify legal tender notes, the Central Bank’s loan schemes and characteristics of Pyramid systems.

Representatives of Institute of Post Harvest Technologies covered key aspects of effective paddy storing by explaining some of the techniques of modern paddy storing methods, how to reduce post-harvest losses, how to enhance profitability and 
new machinery.

Among the senior representatives of the organisations involved in conducting the programme were Messrs Sirimevan Bandara Wasala – Commercial Bank’s Regional Manager – Southern, Upali Hettiarachchi – Regional Manager of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Matara Branch, H M K B Rathnayake – Senior Engineer of the Institute of Post-Harvest Technologies, A. Gamage Somapala – Assistant Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department and Kapila Danasiri, a lecturer on Positive Thinking.

The Commercial Bank has conducted similar programmes for SMEs and micro entrepreneurs in areas such as Narammala, Galle, Monaragala, Wellawaya, Badulla, Passara, Bandarawela, Welimada, Weligama, Koggala, Karapitiya, Matara, Batticaloa,Ampara, Kurunegala, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Hingurakgoda and Kandy in the recent past.

The Bank’s Agriculture and Micro Finance Units are located in Ratnapura, Narammala, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Bandarawela, Wellawaya, Hingurakgoda, Galewela, Atchuvely, Vavuniya and Tissamaharama. They identify and support people who need financial assistance for Agri/Micro businesses, provide guidance on how to improve their businesses and help resolve difficulties.