BOC extends facilities and services to outstation entrepreneurs

by L.B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

The facilities and services of the Bank of Ceylon would be extended to small and medium scale entrepreneurs and industrialists in the outstations to encourage them, said the new Chairman of Bank of Ceylon (BOC) Udayasri Kariyawasam when he met Most Ven. Mahanayake Theras of Malawatte and Asgiriya Mahavihara chapters in Kandy recently.

Kariyawasam visited Dalada Maligawa Kandy and paid homage to the sacred Tooth relic on his assuming new office. He called on Most. Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Mahavihara chapter and Most. Ven. Udugama Buddharakkhitha Sri Ratnapala Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Mahavihara chapter at their respective viharayas in Kandy and received their blessings.

He added that the facilities and services of the Bank of Ceylon, hitherto limited to a privileged section of people in Colombo and Gampaha districts in the Western Province would be extended to the rest of the districts in the provinces under the concept of President Mahinda Rajapakse. He added larger scale loans had been granted to some business tykoons and industrialists in Colombo and Gampaha districts during the bast and the bank had failled to recover them.

He was having discussions with Bank officials with regard to the recovery of those loans. Some of those who have obtained large scale loans had died by now while some had closed down their enterprises, some others did not owned those assets they possessed at the time the loans were obtained.

Kariyawasam said that Bank of Ceylon had maintained its prestigious standard as one of the top banks in the world and it had a network of 303 branches inclusive of three foreign branches, President Mahinda Rajapakse was very keen to have the services of the bank extended to rural areas. It was with this objective a separate ministry had been carved out and Wijedasa Rajapakse PC was appointed the minister in charge.

Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of Malwatte chapter and Most Ven. Udugama Sri Ratanapala Buddharakkhitha Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Mahavihara chapter endorsed the view of President Rajapakse that the facilities and services of those banks should be extended to small and medium scale enterprises and industries in rural areas.

At the same time they emphasised the requirement of settling the loans obtained from banks. Those who obtained loans were bound to repay them and it was their duty. Then only the banks could continue that service.

Deputy General Manager Central Province W. Somaweera' Assistant General Manager Mervyn Peiris, Chief Manager Kandy Upatissa Bandara, Chief Manager Central Province Asoka Basnayake, Senior Deputy Manager Sisira Dissanayake, and Nimal Peiris and Rohana Kumara of the Kandy Business Community participated.