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Thursday Sep 26, 2024
Monday, 28 July 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Following the launch of the pilot project in Matale, the bank’s corporate management intends to align the series to accomplish the vision of developing 500 successful entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka by the end of 2014.
According to a bank spokesperson, this group will comprise an equal distribution of males and females from various districts of the country. Further, Sampath Bank will organise 20 three-day Entrepreneur Development Workshops in 20 selected districts with the participation of mainly start up entrepreneurs, new entrants to the market, existing entrepreneurs, university and technical college students and differently-abled persons.
“Our main objective of organising three day workshops is to assist the small and medium scale entrepreneurs in developing business plans for existing businesses.” the spokesperson added.
Sampath Bank has implemented strategies to conduct the Workshop series at national level with the collaboration of CEFE NET (Competency-based Economies through Formation of Enterprise) Sri Lanka and NEDA (National Entrepreneur Development Authority) as external facilitators.
Commenting on the new collaboration CEFE NET Sri Lanka Chairman G.B. Herath stressed the importance of designing the economic framework of an individual based on competency and the three-day workshops conducted by Sampath Bank will help shaping the identified business fields, preparation and development via training modules. He added that these training modules have been specially designed aiming at 70%-75% of the small and medium scale businesses which contribute directly to the economy of Sri Lanka.
Representing NEDA the Matale District Coordinator K.S. Sanjeewa Karunaratne said that according to the objectives of NEDA, what is intended is to facilitate the entrepreneurs with required infrastructure, knowledge, motivation and orientation. “Furthermore, by collaborating with Sampath Bank and CEFE NET Sri Lanka, we strive to elevate the small and medium entrepreneurs to a higher level in line with our own objectives,” he said.
Highlighting the distinctiveness in the Entrepreneur Development Workshop series conducted by Sampath Bank, Chief Manager – Branch Credit Thusitha Nakandala said that those workshops are not just ad-hoc but well planned three-day practical programs focused on theory and business planning. “Our prime objective is to have continuous relationships with the entrepreneurs and the respective bank branches. We specially conduct these workshops as three-day programs sustain the enthusiasm and for the purpose of monitoring the success of the participants. These workshops are called ‘Credit Plus’ – capacity building for Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs and they are sustainable.
The 30 participants confined to a workshop have been properly screened by the bank. The key needs of the entrepreneur, mainly how to plan out existing business, how to launch new business ideas are identified and the programmes will address these issues. The business plans developed by the participants will be evaluated by experienced bank officers and the viable business plans will stand eligible to receive financial assistance from the bank. Further, the progress, the performance of these businesses will be evaluated by CEFE NET Sri Lanka, NEDA and Sampath Bank.
Sampath Bank conducted six Entrepreneur Development Workshops in 2013 concentrating on educating the entrepreneurs with general book keeping and how to adhere to environmental and social requirements in doing business, in the Northern, Eastern, Uva and Sabaragamuwa Provinces. The three programs conducted in the north and east were for the war widows and 75% of the participants had received financial assistance from the existing re-finance credit line exclusively for entrepreneurs operating in the north and east provinces. According to bank sources, the beneficiaries have utilised the financial assistance given by the bank in a satisfactory manner.
