ComBank disburses over Rs. 14 b in targeted MSME lending

Managing Director/CEO Sanath Manatunge

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has announced that it has disbursed more than Rs. 14 billion through 11,869 loans under a range of specialised credit schemes in the 15 months from 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2026, reaffirming its leadership in supporting Sri Lanka’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The bank said these disbursements span multiple segments critical to economic recovery and growth, including MSME development, agriculture, disaster relief, working capital support, and refinancing for small and medium enterprises.

Significantly, Commercial Bank confirmed the full utilisation of the Rs. 1 billion allocated to it in March 2026 under the Government-backed MSME Re-energising Scheme (Re-MSME). Consequently, the bank was allocated an additional Rs. 1 billion, of which 50% has already been disbursed, within several days, the bank disclosed.

Commenting on the bank’s performance, Managing Director/CEO Sanath Manatunge said: “Meaningful support to MSMEs is not measured by intent, but by delivery. Our complete and timely utilisation of concessional funding lines, and the scale at which we continue to deploy our own capital, reflect a deeply embedded commitment to Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurial economy. We view MSMEs not as a segment, but as the backbone of national growth, and our responsibility is to ensure that viable businesses have access to the financing, knowledge and networks they need to sustain and scale.”

The bank’s latest disbursement figures reinforce its standing as the country’s leading lender to the SME sector. According to the Ministry of Finance, Commercial Bank has been ranked the largest lender to SMEs in Sri Lanka for five consecutive years from 2020 to 2024. In 2024 alone, the bank disbursed Rs. 330.9 billion to SMEs.

In order to uplift microfinancing and the rural economy while advancing financial inclusion, Commercial Bank has restructured its microfinance approach into a three-pillar ecosystem consisting of 73 Agriculture and Microfinance Units that currently support over 23,000 micro and Agri sector clients; the Bank-on-Wheels mobile banking operation; and an Agency banking operation that now serves 26 locations. These strategies are designed to bridge the gap between traditional banking and entrepreneurs in remote areas.

The bank is also implementing an extensive Agri Modernisation Village Program, working with government departments, universities and Agri sector companies to empower farmers with transformative knowledge and equipment to adopt the latest technologies for smart and sustainable agricultural practices.

Additionally, Commercial continues to invest in a comprehensive ecosystem to support enterprise development. This includes specialised units dedicated to SME banking, development credit, business rehabilitation, and women’s banking, supported by relationship managers and regional teams delivering tailored solutions at grassroots level.

The bank also complements its financial support with capacity building, financial literacy and advisory services, alongside initiatives to enhance digital adoption and market access. These include platforms that connect SMEs to global networks, AI-powered credit underwriting to accelerate access to finance, and trade fairs that provide exposure and partnership opportunities.

Commercial Bank said its sustained and multi-dimensional approach underscores a long-term commitment to enabling inclusive economic growth by empowering Sri Lanka’s MSME and SME sectors.

Commercial Bank is the first Sri Lankan bank with a market capitalisation exceeding $ 1 billion and was also the first bank in the country to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World.  Commercial Bank has the highest capital base among all Sri Lankan banks, and the largest private sector lender in Sri Lanka. Ranked No. 1 in the Business Today Top 40, Commercial Bank is recognised as the most respected and most-awarded Bank in Sri Lanka. Commercial Bank is also a leader in digital innovation and is Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon-neutral bank.

Commercial Bank operates a network of 272 strategically located branches and automated machines island-wide, and has the widest international footprint among Sri Lankan banks, with 20 branches in Bangladesh, a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake in the Maldives, a microfinance company in Myanmar, and a representative office in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The bank’s fully owned subsidiaries, CBC Finance PLC and Commercial Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Limited, also deliver a range of financial services via their own branch networks.