SMEs in Monaragala and Batticaloa educated on alternative capital raising

Friday, 24 July 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), together with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), successfully concluded a series of issuer forums in Monaragala and Batticaloa.

The forums were part of an ongoing island-wide initiative to foster awareness of capital market opportunities in alternate capital raising that are available for small and medium enterprises in Sri Lanka. The forums were held recently in Monaragala on 16 July at the Silanrich Hotel and in Batticaloa on 18 July at the FG Golden River Hotel.

The Issuer Forums provided SME participants with valuable insights into strengthening their businesses and accessing growth opportunities through the capital market. Session further covered the SME Creditworthiness Rating Framework, the SME Magazine, the Entrepreneur Awards programme, and the importance of maintaining sound financial management practices to support long-term business success.

Participants also gained a comprehensive understanding of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), regulatory requirements, succession planning in family businesses, and the opportunities available through the CSE’s Empower Board. The forums concluded with engaging panel discussions that enabled participants to interact directly with industry experts and obtain practical guidance on scaling their businesses and preparing for capital market participation.

The panel featured Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka Director – Corporate Affairs Manuri Weerasinghe, Manager – Corporate Affairs Semini Kuruppu, CA Sri Lanka Council Member, CA SME Connect Committee Alternate Chairman and RTA Sri Lanka Managing Partner Saman Sri Lal, M Power Capital Securities Ltd. CEO Lakmal Jayarathne, Deloitte Sri Lanka Associate Director Krishnaveny Karmegam, First Capital Holdings PLC Vice President – Corporate Finance & Advisory Atchuthan Srirangan, CSE Senior Vice President – Commercial Punyamali Saparamadu, and CSE Manager – Commercial Himashi Wickramasinghe.