Samurdhi deposits top Rs.17 billion
Uditha KUMARASINGHE
COLOMBO: The Samurdhi Bank Societies have made remarkable progress in
alleviating poverty, recording total deposits amounting to Rs.17,419
million by end September this year.
Samurdhi Bank societies under several loan schemes have already
disbursed Rs.24,757 million worth credit facilities among Samurdhi
beneficiary families from 1996 to September this year to overcome their
socio-economic hardships, a Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry
spokesman told the Daily News.
Of this Rs.24,757 million, Rs.15,119 million has been granted to
Samurdhi beneficiary families as self employment loans.
In addition, Rs.5248 million has been provided to Samurdhi recipient
families through the Jana Pubudu loan scheme while Rs.3,442 million has
been granted for various agriculture related industries, he said.
Samurdhi banks have provided Rs.1,873 million worth Jana Pubudu loans
and Rs.1,298 million worth self employment loans to Samurdhi beneficiary
families only during the first nine months of this year.
Samurdhi banks have introduced several loan schemes for the benefit
of Samurdhi beneficiaries under categories such as self employment,
cultivation, housing, animal husbandry, fisheries and industries.
In addition, the Jana Pubudu credit scheme has been implemented to
assist Samurdhi beneficiaries to commence self-employment ventures and
further develop existing ventures, he said. The 18 per cent interest
rate charged by Samurdhi banks on loans has been reduced to 14 per cent
at present.
"Samurdhi banks are the only banking network in the country which
provide credit facilities to the poor solely based on mutual trust The
sole intention of providing these loans to poor is to uplift their
living conditions," he said.
There are 1,038 Samurdhi Bank Societies countrywide including the
North-East for providing financial support to the poor. Samurdhi banks
have 5.9 million savings accounts, he said. The target of Samurdhi banks
is to give credit facilities to 400,000 Samurdhi beneficiary families by
year end.
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