HNB completes SME capacity building programme for North-central region

HNB PLC announced the completion of another capacity building programme focused on building financial literacy and commercial competitive ability among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) in the Northcentral region.

Part of a regular series of initiatives organized by the bank with a view to supporting SME customers and providing them with the skills they need to not only compete but to thrive in local and even international markets, the latest in a continuous series of workshops conducted by the bank across the island.

“As a recognized pioneer in the field of SME lending in Sri Lanka for over 125 years, HNB continues to set the pace for the industry, striking a vital balance between generating optimal profitability as a business and creating maximum value for SME clients.

“Standing as the first bank to enter this sector with much needed financial services specifically catered to the unique requirements of Sri Lankan SMES, HNB remains deeply conscious of the importance of going beyond basic service delivery. Financial literacy, awareness building and capacity development are vital to ensuring that our SME customers thrive and grow hence we remain committed to maintaining and expanding our capacity building programmes moving forward,” HNB Deputy General Manager – SME & Midmarket, Jude Fernando explained.

Complemented by an extensive island-wide retail presence, the bank is now working to cement its presence in the SME sector with the introduction of new processes and technologies aimed squarely at creating unprecedented value for SME clients.

The latest SME capacity development workshop for customers in the North Central province was hosted on 28th June 2018 under the theme ‘Sustainable development empowering the small and medium enterprises ’

Among topics covered were basic accounting techniques, management of Human Resources, strategies to resolve commonplace business challenges, legal and regulatory compliance, and improvement of supply chain management.

The event was successfully conducted by CLOUD Consultancies - a leading educational institute in Sri Lanka. HNB will continue this process in other regions as well in order to further strengthen the financial knowledge of the bank’s valued clients.

Since the bank has initiated several digital products under SME, The Code – Venture.com, a leading E-commerce company, also conducted a session on how to bridge technological gaps within the SME industry in order to educate our clients in North Central region.