HNB's Adishtana another first:

Financial literacy for migrant family women

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

The number of micro finance service beneficiaries has increased with more grass root level programs launched by banks and financial institutions to empower rural entrepreneurs.

The Hatton National Bank (HNB) has played a lead role in the micro finance industry with a greater involvement with small and medium scale entrepreneurs in the country. Adishtana a program to empower women of migrant worker families is another first of the Bank which has focused on supporting the most vulnerable sector in communities.

Deputy General Manager (Personal Banking and Network Management) HNB, Chandula Abeywickrema said the Bank has enrolled over 200 Adishtana account holders in four branches since the product was launched few weeks ago.

He said that programs conducted at grass-root level have helped enhance the financial literacy rate of people in the rural sector.

HNB, a pioneer in providing micro finance services which is popularly known as financial inclusion has empowered over 100,000 SME sector entrepreneurs to broaden their income generating capacity.

Abeywickrema said that improving the financial literacy rate in the country is essential to build capacity among entrepreneurs who have no access to finance.

The country's financial literacy rate is still at an unsatisfactory level. A large number of people in the rural sector has not inculcated the savings habit.

"Adishtana has helped women of migrant worker families to have greater access to finance and to use their money for productive purposes", Abeywickrema said.