'Kantha Diriya' loans for women in handloom industry

COLOMBO: A special loan scheme named 'Kantha Diriya' has been launched by the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Bank to encourage women engaged in the handloom textile industry under the Mahinda Chintana programme.

Under this scheme individual loans subject to a maximum of Rs. 100,000 are granted to women to improve their industry at an annual interest of 9.5 per cent.

The repayment period is 36 months, said the Government Information Department in a press release issued on Thursday.

The loan scheme will cover small and medium scale handloom industrialists in Ampara, Anuradhapura, Hambantota, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Matale, Ratnapura, Puttalam, Trincomalee districts, Avissawella and Divulapitiya areas.

A group of 20 selected women under this programme received loan entitlement certificates from SME Bank Chairman Moksevi Prelis at a ceremony at the Walpita Youth Resort Training Centre, Divulapitiya on May 31.