HNB joins hands with Citi Bank to fuel small businesses in Urubokka

Entrepreneurs from Urubokka town together with Citi Bank CEO Ravin Basnayake, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Senior Secretary General Chandra D. Vithanage, HNB SME AGM Jude Fernando, HNB regional heads of Southern and Uva branches, and branch managers of HNB’s Urubokka and Embilipitiya branches

The HNB GP Micro Finance program was involved in a further project of extending finances for small businesses in Urubokka of Southern Province in partnership with Citi Bank Sri Lanka Branch and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce under a special project titled ‘Rural Economic Empowerment’.

Under the project, Citi Bank together with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will collaborate to provide training and capacity building to groups of entrepreneurs while HNB will provide funding for development of such businesses. 

The project commenced with 37 entrepreneurs, primarily engaged in tea and cinnamon cultivation. The group was first provided training in skills development and business management. At the end of the training, HNB Urubokka Branch GP Unit identified feasible projects to move forward on, including a breakthrough project wherein 17 women were engaged in processing, nursery development and trading of cinnamon and tea. 

A ceremony was subsequently held to commemorate the distribution of the first set of loans at Urubokka HNB Branch premises with the participation of Citi CEO Ravin Basnayake Bank, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Senior Secretary General Chandra D. Vithanage, Hatton National Bank AGM – SME Jude Fernando, regional heads of Southern and Uva, branch managers of Urubokka and Embilipitiya and few other staff.