Govt. offers loans to trishaw owners, migrant workers up to Rs.10mn

• Loan up to Rs.2mn for three-wheeler owners to convert to mini taxi service
• Rs.10mn concessionary housing loan to migrant workers to be paid in 15 years

The government on realising the success of Enterprise Sri Lanka concessionary loan scheme is to introduce further concessionary loans to widen the schemes enabling the stakeholders to move towards next generation economic activities in their respective areas.

Accordingly, migrant workers will be given up to Rs.10 million concessionary housing loans to be repaid in 15 years with two-year 
grace period.

It has been perceived that the dream of many of the migrant workers is to have their own house. But due to lack of proper guidelines and financial management it has become impossible for them. 

According to the new scheme proposed, migrant workers who have registered under the Foreign Employment Bureau will have to save a considerable amount of their remittance in a local bank and the 75 percent of the interest rate will be borne by the government through treasury.

Another novel scheme introduced to provide concessionary loan up to Rs.2 million is for three-wheeler owners to convert to a safer and comfortable mini taxi service with small cars. 

The government will bear 75 percent of the interest rate and the three-wheel owners, who operate their own three wheelers and who are above 35 years of age are entitled to this concessionary loan.

A proposal made by the Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera to expand the already approved loan schemes to cover more areas was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers last week.

The Enterprise Sri Lanka concessionary loan scheme introduced under 2017 and 2018 budgets has been a huge success. The self-employed, women entrepreneurs, small and medium entrepreneurs have so far been registered for various loan schemes up to Rs.65 billion via state and private banks and the loan worth Rs.36 billion have been disbursed to over 34,500 personnel.  Self-employed, farmers and even the journalists are given interest free loans from under this.

As Sri Lanka is fast reaching a country where its ageing population is on the increase, Minister Samaraweera has proposed to introduce another loan scheme of providing Rs.10 million with 75 percent interest concession to construct elderly care centres as private sector investment.

The newly introduced loan schemes with the previous schemes will be continued in the year 2019 as well and on the proposal made by Minister Samaraweera the Cabinet approval has been granted to allocate Rs.700 million to pay the interest rates to banks through which these loans will be channeled. 

The Treasury has been authorized by the Cabinet to enter into agreements with State and private banks to extend the loan scheme in this year too.

The Enterprise Sri Lanka programme inaugurated on June 22, 2018 previously consisted of 16 schemes, and the special feature is that the government on behalf of the loan recipient pays either the total interest or part of the interest to the relevant bank.

The Enterprise Sri Lanka scheme offers attractive concessionary financing to stimulate investment and expansion by entrepreneurs, SMEs and even large business. 
The loan amount ranges from Rs.50, 000 to Rs.750 million.