FCCISL helps renovate business premises in North

The Special Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, R. S. Ragavan was the chief guest at the launch of a program to grant financial assistance to businessmen of the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts to repair damaged business premises.

Fom left: Consultant HR and Admin FCCISL, W.J. Soosairatnam, GA, Kilinochchi, Ms. R. Ketheeswaran, Secretary General, FCCISL, Nalin Attygalle, the Special Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, S. Ragavan, Consul General, HCI, Jaffna, Mahalingam, official of HCI, Jaffna, S.D. Moorthy, First Secretary, HCI, Colombo, Justin Mohan and Major General Udaya Perera.

The ceremony was held at the Cooperative Conference Hall in Kilinochchi.

The first batch of 200 businessmen received the grants out of a 1,230 selected for the assistance.

Seventy million rupees will be granted among micro, small, medium and large categories of the business community in the two districts.

Ragavan said that the Government of India will continue to support terrorism-affected people in all parts of Sri Lanka and has committed to build 50,000 houses and commenced laying railway lines from Medawachchiya to Mannar and Vavuniya to KKS.

He said that the government of India will facilitate the development work of the KKS harbour and commence shipping services from Rameswaram to Thalaimannar.

He called upon the beneficiaries to use the financial assistance for business development.

The Secretary General, FCCISL, Nalin Attygalla spoke on the facilitation role played by the FCCISL since 2010 and detailed the categories of beneficiaries and the financial assistance available for each group.

President of the Kilinochchi District Chamber of Commerce, Ignatius also spoke.