ComBank conducts entrepreneurship development programme for VTA students in A’pura

A group of 125 students following various vocational training courses in Anuradhapura, recently benefitted from an entrepreneurship development programme conducted by the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, under the banner of its Dirishakthi Sustainable Entrepreneurships Development initiatives.

The Bank organised this event in collaboration with the Vocational Training Authority (VTA) in Anuradhapura to impart knowledge on financial literacy and business development to students following training courses in air conditioner repair, baking, beauty culture, computer hardware, electrical engineering, footwear design, landscaping, motor mechanics and other subjects.

Designed to improve the entrepreneurial skills and marketability of learned skills of the students to benefit the rural economy, this recent initiative was managed by Commercial Bank’s Development Credit Department (DCD) and its Agriculture & Micro Finance Unit (AMFU) in the region and was supported by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).

Veteran speaker on finance management and business development Mr. Duminda Dissanayaka, who is also the Manager of the Anuradhapura Regional Office of the Central Bank, was invited as the resource person to this event.

Commercial Bank Regional Manager – North Central Province Mr Michael De Silva, Nochchiyagama Branch Manager Mr Venura Dhanapala, and Vocational Training Authority Programme Officer Mr Chaminda Priyankara Wijayadasa were also present at the programme, alongside officials from the Bank.

In 2022, The Bank’s Dirishakthi Sustainable Entrepreneurships Development Programme has benefitted more than 250 female entrepreneurs in Wasgamuwa and Ratnapura.

Commercial Bank has been conducting awareness programmes for micro entrepreneurs in different sectors of business in many areas of the country for the past 11 years, and has helped more than 11,000 entrepreneurs to date through this series.

These programs are supported by the Bank’s 19 Agriculture & Micro Finance Units which play a key role in helping the Bank to identify specific needs of entrepreneurs who require assistance to develop either their agriculture activities or micro businesses. These units are dedicated to promoting agriculture lending and micro finance.

Commercial Bank’s Agriculture & Micro Finance Units (AMFU) are located in Ratnapura, Narammala, Nawalapitiya, Marawila, Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Bandarawela, Wellawaya, Hingurakgoda, Galewela, Achchuveli, Vavuniya, Chenkalady, Deniyaya, Tissamaharama, Udugama, Pottuvil, Elpitiya, and Akkaraipattu.

Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon neutral bank, the first Sri Lankan bank to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World and the only Sri Lankan bank to be so listed for 12 years consecutively, Commercial Bank operates a network of 268 branches and 940 automated machines in Sri Lanka. Commercial Bank is a leader in digital innovation in the country’s Banking sector. The Bank’s overseas operations encompass Bangladesh, where the Bank operates 19 outlets; Myanmar, where it has a Microfinance company in Nay Pyi Taw; and the Maldives, where the Bank has a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake.