Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-02-14

Implementation of the concessionary loan schemes under the 'Enterprise Sri Lanka' Programme proposed in the Budget 2018

- The 'Enterprise Sri Lanka' Programme was proposed in the Budget 2018 with the objective of upgrading the Per Capita income up to US$ 5,000, creation of 1 million new employment opportunities, doubling of the value of exports and sustaining an economic growth of over 5% to reach the Government's midterm development goals by the year 2020. Under this, it is scheduled to provide 15 loan schemes inclusive of financial and non‑financial facilities aimed at small scale and medium scale to entrepreneurs, youth and women entrepreneurs and the self employed identified as the driving force of the economic development. For this purpose, a sum of Rs.20,230 million has been set apart for the year 2018.

Under the concessionary loan scheme 'Green Loan' proposed in the Budget 2018, financial facilities are due to be provided to induce local entrepreneurs to manufacture packing material by using the biodegradable raw material instead of using polythene, small scale hotel owners who provide services to tourists and the house owners registered in the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority under the 'Homestay' programme. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, the Minister of Finance and Mass Media, to implement the said loan scheme through the public and private banks, was approved by the Cabinet.