DAILY NEWS ONLINE


OTHER EDITIONS

Budusarana On-line Edition

Silumina  on-line Edition

Sunday Observer


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals

Classified Ads

Government - Gazette

Mihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

FCCISL provides Rs. 25 m under 'Back to business' program

The Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCISL) under their program 'back to business', has provided Rs. 25 million as seed capital for micro level tsunami affected businessmen in the South and in the Ampara district.

The FCCISL last Tuesday distributed Rs. 7.5 million at the Galle Chamber of Commerce. A further sum of Rs. 2.5 million was distributed among affected businessmen in both Matara and Hambantota Districts. "These loans were awarded to traders by way of grants," said the President of the FCCISL, Nawaz Rajabdeen. He said that while the Government was involved in the infrastructure building after the tsunami it was up to the Chambers and Non governmental organisations to get the affected businessmen back to business.

"We are the only Chamber financially helping the rural poor, by granting seed capital via grants to restart their businesses without depending on government grants or financial assistance from the banks," he said.

He said that a further Rs. 15 million would be distributed in the Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts for small traders to get back to business.

The donor community and non-governmental organisations have endorsed this program and have made pledges for around Rs. 200 million. He said that the FCCISL is not only addressing the tsunami affected businessmen. "We are also launching vocational training centers, in Batticaloa and other areas to train young people to start their own businesses," he said.

"We are addressing the war affected areas too, trying to help the people who are displaced in the past 20 years by setting up training centers and business schools.

FCCISL has already started a business school in East and has provided an outright grant of Rs. one million for the project.

The FCCISL soon after the tsunami set up information and help desks to gather information of the affected Micro and small time businessmen through the assistance of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMED) which helped them to provide grants to the businessmen.

FEEDBACK | PRINT

 

| News | Editorial | Business | Features | Political | Security | Sports | World | Letters | Obituaries |

 

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Manager