HDFC Bank recently concluded a series of Entrepreneurship Development Programmes   for the Small and Medium Scale entrepreneurs in the Polonnaruwa district in line with the “Nila Mehewara “Mobile Service Programme in Polonnaruwa which was jointly organized by the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
This program was initiated by the Bank, to focus on the problems that the expansion of SMEs are constrained with, such as access to finance, physical infrastructure, level of technology, access to information, inadequacy of skills in product development, packaging, distribution and sales promotion.
The event was well attended by many entrepreneurs from the SME sector. The entrepreneurs who are in need of credit facilities, were given knowledge on the available credit lines such as ‘Saubhagya’ refinance scheme, Commercial Scale Dairy Development Loan Scheme (CSDDLS), National Agribusiness Development Programme (NADeP), New comprehensive Rural Credit Scheme (NCRCS) and Self Employment Promotion Initiative(SEPI)  of the Central Bank.This program was supported by Regional Office of the Central Bank (North Central Office – Anuradapura ) and the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA)
Over 1900 entrepreneurs from the divisional secretariats such as Tamankaduwa, Hingurakgoda, Medirigiriya, Lankapura, Dimbulagala, Welikanda and Elehera participated.
Preliminary field level investigations of the SME projects are being conducted by the HDFC Polonnaruwa Branch at present to facilitate their credit needs under the various credit schemes.