LOLC in collaboration with Lankadeepa, ITN and Lakhada organized its fourth program under the flagship of 'LOLC Viyapara Shilpa', tailored to the small and medium scale entrepreneurs (SME), in Kurunegala recently. We were amazed at the response we received from the entrepreneurs of Kurunegala and the neighbouring areas, said an official of LOLC.

An LOLC official stated that the venue was packed with entrepreneurs who praised the sponsors for organizing a seminar of this magnitude, thanking the officials for bringing this program to their door step, while a few of them wanted it to be carried out once again in the neighbouring areas for the benefit of their colleagues, who are in business operations.

Further, the company official said that they had brought in a new dimension to this program by bringing in a guest speaker. Deshabandu Dr. Victor Hettigoda was the guest speaker at the Kurunegala seminar and it was a surprise call for all participants who were thrilled not only to know the success story of Dr. Hettigoda but were also inspired by his words of wisdom, as to how they should look at a business and run it in a competitive environment. The spokesman went on to say that they would be adding more value to this program and their intention is to enhance the knowledge of this sector, which makes a significant contribution towards our economy.

The main topics covered at this program were marketing, stock control, taxation and accounting which were taken up by specialized personnel in their respective fields. Mr. K P N S Karunagoda of Central Bank, Mr. Saman Rasaputhra, Representative of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Mr. Rienzie Martinesz of LOLC were the speakers at this forum.

"The success of this program has mainly been due to identifying the SME sector's requirement and tailoring the program accordingly, said the official. We are extremely focused on our social responsibility and the need of the hour. The program has already moved from strength to strength and no doubt it has benefited the society at large".

The next program is planned to be held in Ratnapura in January 2005.