Bank of Ceylon enables rubber industry

Rubber is one of the three main export crops in our country. At present, Sri Lanka produces 150,000 metric tons of rubber per month. The income received from export of rubber in 2010 was Rs. 83,224 million (US$ 736 million).

From left: BOC Assistant General Manager – Product and Development Banking W.A.C. Tissera, Rubber Development Department Provincial Deputy Director (Kalutara) Janaka Perera, Thurusaviya Fund President G.P.C. Premaratne, BOC Deputy General Manager – Product and Development Banking Senarath Bandara, Thurusaviya Fund Director Kumari Wimalasooriya, and BOC Assistant General Manager – Credit Card Division G.H. Wickramasinghe at the head table

Observations since 2004 have revealed that the income gained from rubber production has been increasing continuously. It is from the rubber produced by the small rubber estate owners that we earn up to 65% of the foreign exchange earned from rubber exports.

The first-ever loan scheme introduced to small scale rubber estate owners by the Thurusaviya Fund and Bank of Ceylon – Bankers to the Nation has been titled the Thurusaviya Loan Scheme, introduced for the benefit of small scale rubber estate owners. This loan scheme was initiated with a limited time period under the patronage of General Manger D.M. Gunasekara and BOC’s corporate management.

The MOU for the above loan scheme was signed on 20 December 2012 at the Ministry of Plantation. A national program to educate on the loan scheme was held on 19 January 2013 at the BOC Head Office.

“Within the month of February 2013 we will conduct district-wise training programs to educate the small scale rubber farmers on the loan scheme,” said W.A.C. Tissera, BOC Assistant General Manager – Product and Development Banking.

BOC Product and Development Banking Deputy General Manager Senarath Bandara, Assistant General Manager W.A.C. Tissera, Thurusaviya Fund President G.P.C. Premaratne, Rubber Development Department Provincial Deputy Director (Kalutara) Janaka Perera, Thurusaviya Fund Director Kumari Wimalasooriya, and Thurusaviya coordinating officers, district level Thurusaviya office bearers, BOC area managers, branch managers and credit officers were present at the program.