COLOMBO – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said it was coordinating with Keells Supermarkets and Hatton National Bank (HNB) on an innovative supply chain financing facility that supports micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the food sector to access capital.
In a statement issued on Thursday (20) the US Embassy in Sri Lanka said the facility, through greater access to capital, helps reduce the supply chain disruptions that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and were exacerbated by the country’s recent economic crisis.
Charitha Subasinghe, President of John Keells Holdings, parent company of Keells Supermarkets, said that partnering with USAID and HNB on supply chain financing was a significant step to ensure MSMEs have access to capital during the ongoing crisis. “This facility supports our goal of creating shared value for our stakeholders, supporting the local economy, and ensuring uninterrupted product availability for our customers,” Subasinghe added.
The facility, which provides MSMEs with competitive fixed interest rate financing, has so far lent a total US$ 430,000 to eight suppliers in its first weeks of operations. The partnership plans to support approximately 100 MSMEs to obtain US$ 4 million worth of credit over six months, the statement added.
Sanjay Wijemanne, HNB’s Deputy General Manager for SME & Retail Banking, said it was a privilege for HNB to collaborate with Keells to provide such an innovative financial solution for MSMEs in the food sector. “This will enable MSMEs to meet their working capital needs, such as purchasing raw materials, paying salaries, and covering other short-term expenses, so businesses continue running smoothly,” he said, confident that this would further empower MSMEs to achieve their business objectives.
Noting that Sri Lankan enterprises were face increasing pressures due to recent global supply chain disruptions, high energy costs, volatile inflation rates, and economic instability, Gabriel Grau, the USAID/Sri Lanka and Maldives Mission Director said the supply chain financing facility alleviates some of the pressures and enables MSMEs to optimize their working capital.
-ENCL
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