Rs. 500 m more from Govt. for 4,700 ex-LTTE cadres as loans for biz start-ups

Friday, 5 July 2013 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government has decided to provide over 4,700 former Tamil Tiger cadres with loans to start their own businesses after they completed rehabilitation programs. Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday that approval had been given for the Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Ministry to release Rs. 500 million in total for the loans. Sri Lanka ended a brutal three-decade war in 2009. During and after hostilities ended thousands of former Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) carders surrendered to the Government.

“The total number of people who have been rehabilitated and reintegrated into society stands at 11,573. Steps were initiated to provide a sum of Rs. 300 million in the form of loans to 1,549 beneficiaries from the North and Eastern Provinces, through State banks for self-employment purposes,” Rambukwella added. He said that this was yet another step in the Government’s efforts to assist the war-affected and ensure that the rehabilitation process is a success. Under the second scheme of Rs. 500 million an additional 4,724 former cadres will be provided with small-scale loans. Most of the loans will be invested to start small businesses such as vehicle repair shops, which are part of the skills taught to cadres during their rehabilitation programs. The Government-sponsored rehabilitation scheme takes a minimum of one year to complete. Rambukwella also noted that prominent former members of the LTTE may also contest upcoming elections as nominees of the ruling party, the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.