500th loan under Enterprise Sri Lanka

The dream of every entrepreneur is to see their business reach the apex of the ladder of success. Enterprise Sri Lanka “Thurunu Diriya” loan scheme of the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) opened up a great opportunity for young entrepreneurs to develop their business and make their dreams come true with a success story of the 500th “Thurunu Diriya” loan recipient.

R. M. D. N Kumari from Kumbukwewa, Doluwa area is a female entrepreneur owning the Chanaka Dil Orchid and Anthurium business. She is a 33-year-old young mother of three children and her husband is employed in transportation.

“The knowledge she gained by attending to a short-term course conducted by Peradeniya Botanical Garden and District Agriculture Training Centre, Ambepussa on Orchid and Anthurium cultivation was a great opportunity to successfully commence the business,” it was stated in a media release issued by Enterprise Sri Lanka.

In the last three years she had been operating her business with the support of her husband and one employee. “Orchid flowers needed for the cultivation is bought from an institution which imports them from Bangkok. She then cares for those plants for about eight months before selling them to the customers. She operates wholesale business by selling plants to other plant nurseries and small amount of plants are been sold direct to other customers,” the release said adding that Ms. Kumari has said she will utilise the loan received from “Thurunu Diriya” scheme to build a “Net House” which is used to increase the output of plants.

The “Thurunu diriya” loan scheme was launched by Bank of Ceylon in collaboration with the Policy Development Office (PDO) of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Central Programme Management Unit (CPMU) and the Small Enterprises Development Division ( SEDD) as a part of the government’s “Enterprise Sri Lanka program, specifically targeted at qualified young professional entrepreneurs.