The United States has extended a loan of US$40 million to the SDB Bank to bolster the SME sector in Sri Lanka and to support women entrepreneurs. The US Embassy in Colombo stated that using this US$40 million, the SDB Bank will provide 1,400 loans in the range of Rs 500,000 and Rs 1 million each to SMEs across Sri Lanka. Around 40% of these loans would be granted to women-owned business enterprises or businesses that provide a product or service that empowers women. Many SMEs which have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic will also be beneficiaries of these loans.
