Government helps the poor to boost savings
[07 Mar 2001]  

The poor in Sri Lanka saved more than Rs. 7600 million in the Samurdhi Bank Societies. These societies are a part of the Sri Lanka government’s poverty alleviation programme. The ambitious programme aims to eliminate poverty by the year 2005. 

The concept of Samurdhi Banks was introduced by the Government to improve income levels of the poor by inculcating their savings habit and providing them with credit facilities to commence income-generating projects.

There are around one thousand Samurdhi Bank Societies in the country, and over two million accounts have been opened. More than eight million Samurdhi beneficiaries have saved Rs. 5,894 million in their compulsory savings, at the end of June last year. Meanwhile, nearly four million Samurdhi Small Groups have saved Rs. 571 million in their voluntary savings.

The aim of the Samurdhi Movement is to prepare an income-generating project to each Samurdhi beneficiary family within this year by utilizing this large amount of money. 

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