Commercial Bank hosts entrepreneurship seminars in Kandy and Kuliyapitiya

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon recently interacted with 260 entrepreneurs in the Central and North Western provinces at programs hosted in Kandy and Kuliyapitiya as part of the bank’s on-going initiative to promote entrepreneurship development across the country by empowering micro, small and medium enterprises with the knowledge they need to grow.

Under the bank’s ‘Diribala Vyapara Pubuduwa’ entrepreneurial skills development program, 125 entrepreneurs nominated by the Kuliyapitiya, Nattandiya and Pannala branches of Commercial Bank participated in the Kuliyapitiya program.

The Kandy program was attended by 135 entrepreneurs nominated by the bank’s Kandy, Katugastota, Peradeniya, Pilimathalawa, Akurana, Kandy City, Matale and Digana branches.

Corporate trainer and consultant Darshana Welikala was the resource person for the Kuliyapitiya program, which was also attended by Commercial Bank’s Regional Manager, North Western Region Amal Alles, the respective branch managers and officers of the bank’s Development Credit Department. Chandana Gunawardena, a trainer and consultant in entrepreneurial skill development was the resource person for the Kandy program at which Commercial Bank’s Senior Regional Manager Delakshan Hettiarachchi, branch managers and officers of Development Credit Department represented the bank.

The Commercial Bank has conducted similar programs for SMEs and micro entrepreneurs in areas such as Narammala, Galle, Monaragala, Wellawaya, Badulla, Passara, Bandarawela, Welimada, Weligama, Koggala, Karapitiya, Matara, Batticaloa, Ampara, Kurunegala, Jaffna, Vavuniya and Hingurakgoda in the recent past.

The bank’s Agriculture and Micro Finance Units are located in Ratnapura, Narammala, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Bandarawela, Wellawaya, Hingurakgoda, Galewela, Atchuvely, Vavuniya and Tissamaharama. They identify and support people who need financial assistance for Agri/Micro businesses and provide guidance on how to improve their businesses and help resolve difficulties.

Since 2011, Commercial Bank’s Entrepreneurship Skills Development Programs have benefitted more than 2,100 SMEs all over the country. The latest seminars emphasised the importance of change, why SMEs sometimes fail, how to face challenges in the business world and the most important rules to be a successful entrepreneur.