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| Sunday, 23 January 2005 |
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Rapid job creation mechanism The government will set up a rapid job creating mechanism to create 10,000 employment opportunities every month in the Tsunami affected areas, the Minister of Advanced Technology and National Enterprise Development Rohitha Bogollagama said. Addressing the meeting titled 'Come Back to Business' with banks and chamber officials at the Export Development Board (EDB), The Minister said that people urgently needed to move away from the Tsunami camps and start their day-to-day life. "The past has to be forgotten and we have to now think of the future," he said. Over 400,000 have lost their jobs including all their sources of income, therefore Minister called upon the state and private banks to expedite the credit facilities for Tsunami affected entrepreneurs within two weeks. The representatives from the Peoples Bank and Bank of Ceylon assured that they would issue credit facilities upto Rs two million. Private banks also pledged to assist tsunami-affected entrepreneurs and they will set up special help desk for them. The Minister also said that new employment opportunities will emerge once the construction and other industries start their work and a lot of financial assistance will be required at that time. Assistant Governor Central Bank Rose Cooray said that Central Bank has arranged a tsunami special relief loan scheme for Rs 5 billion to the affected micro and SME sector to resume their business operation. "This is the biggest ever refinance system to be launched by the Central Bank. We will appeal to the donor community to assist the country to start similar programs, to help this segment," Ms Cooray said. |
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