Online edition of Daily News

CSE Chairman Eraj Wijesinghe presents the Letter of Appoint to one of the graduates. At right the 14 graduates recruited as investor educators/advisors. (Picture by Roland Perera)

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has launched an innovative program to broadbase interest in the stock exchange. A team of 14 graduates have been recruited as investor educators/advisors to initiate prospective investors in the provinces while developing the capital market.

The investor educators recruited under the "Sarasavi Saviya Program " will conduct programs and visits at village and school level to educate people on the potential in investing in the Stock Market. The Letters of Appointments were presented to investor educators/advisors yesterday at the CSE.

CSE Chairman Eraj Wijesinghe said that rapid progress was made in the last couple of years at the CSE and they want businessmen and people outside towns and cities to become the stakeholders of the economic development. At present the concentration of investors is based in the Colombo district and in certain towns and we want to promote good aspects of investing in the capital market.

"We have opened regional branches in Matara and Kandy and a branch in Jaffna will also be opened soon. Our new program will be focussed on educating the totality of the capital market and potential in investing in the CSE. In the long term, the program will lead to establish a share owning public in Sri Lanka", Wijesinghe said.

"Our institution has also started a "Debt Trading Market" to broadbase share ownership and provide new avenues in earning a high level of income above the prevailing low interest rate at banks.

Even during the period of political uncertainty, the market displayed a greater degree of maturity and we want to change the perception of the public towards the bourse and make them competent in investment.", he said.

Senior Marketing Manager/PR of CSE Rajeeva Bandaranaike said that the company's new program will help at grassroots level and make the public in rural areas investor savvy and become stakeholders of economic development in the country.

"I am optimistic that the graduates recruited will deliver the message at village level while creating a greater awareness on the potential in investing in the share market", Bandaranaike said. Director-General, CSE Hiran Mendis also spoke.