Five million families benefit thanks to Basil: Rishad

Wednesday, 3 September 2014 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Praises Econ Development Minister’s initiative for poor
First island-wide cash credit across 14022 GNs

More than five million poor families are set to benefit from the Government’s latest micro credit initiative launched island-wide on 1 September – rewarded with no less than spot cash. “It is thanks to Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa that the Divi Neguma scheme arrived in Mannar for the first time. Today’s launch of the Divi Neguma Credit Scheme will allow loans up to Rs. 50,000 without guarantors, at a very low interest rate of 4% and direct cash,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce and MP, Vanni Rishad Bathiudeen on 1 September in Mannar. Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the Mannar launch event of the island-wide Divi Neguma Credit Scheme on 1 September. The Divi Neguma Credit Scheme, initiated by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, will allow loans up to Rs. 50,000 without guarantors for five million families, at a very low interest rate of 4% and more than 14022 GN divisions in Sri Lanka. Five million families in 35440 villages of Sri Lanka will be beneficiaries of this direct cash program. At this Mannar event, Bathiudeen distributed cash grants ranging from Rs. 5,000-25,000 to 25 selected families in Mannar DS Division.

“I have been working with Minister Basil since 2005 and he is one of the most hardworking ministers in the Government I have ever associated with. I have not come across any other ministers who commit to development like Minister Basil. His activities span a wide scope –from high level FDI and investments in urban areas to livelihood assistance for the rural poor,” said Bathiudeen, addressing the gathering, and added: “Therefore people of all walks of life benefit from his efforts. “Working with the private sector Minister Basil is targeting to double the country’s hotel room capacity to 50,000 by 2016. He targets 2.5 million tourists by 2016 with revenue of $ 2.75 billion. Minister Basil is keen to see tourism industry employment to double to 500,000. He is also a government minister serving the Northern Province most despite his own voters are elsewhere. It is thanks to him that the Divi Neguma scheme arrived in Mannar for the first time. “Today’s launch of Divi Neguma Credit Scheme will allow loans up to Rs. 50,000 without guarantors, at a very low interest rate of 4% for the villagers in Mannar and more than 14000 GN divisions in Sri Lanka. Five million families in more than 35,000 villages will be covered by today’s program. Today I call upon you, all the recipients of this benefit, to make the maximum from this first ever direct cash initiative by the Government to invest and develop your enterprises and standard of living further.” Top administrative officials including officials from Samurdhi Office of Mannar too participated at the 1 September event.