Govt to establish a Development Bank within existing state banking framework

Rs. 1,000mn fund for commercialization of research and innovation

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Presenting the inaugural budget of the new NPP government, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced yesterday the establishment of a new Development Bank aimed at supporting SMEs and new entrepreneurs. This initiative will provide them with access to funding without the need for collateral-based lending from commercial banks.

“The development of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship is a key objective of the government. One of the biggest challenges faced by small and medium-scale entrepreneurs and rural entrepreneurs over a long period is access to finance. The primary obstacle to accessing finance is the collateral-based lending culture, which has hindered a significant portion of entrepreneurs from obtaining the necessary funds. Banks must protect the interests of their depositors and ensure the rationality of their lending practices, while also providing solutions for small and medium-scale entrepreneurs and new entrepreneurs,” he said.

“To address this, the government is working towards establishing a development bank. As a first step, the operations of the Development Bank will be established through a new administrative structure within the existing state banking framework. The government will support this initiative through the National Credit Guarantee Institution (NCGI), which will provide credit guarantees to facilitate access to finance,” he noted.

Speaking about innovation and entrepreneurship development the President said,” Research institutions, universities, state institutions, the private sector, and the National Intellectual Property Organization (NIPO) are collaborating with various stakeholders to implement research and development projects that address the needs of innovation and entrepreneurship. Priority will be given to the following areas:

“Co-financing for selected research and development initiatives.

“Strengthening linkages between state research and development institutions, relevant universities, and Sri Lankans engaged in similar fields globally.

“Facilitating exporters to obtain international brand protection through the Madrid Protocol.

“In 2020, 272 patents were registered, of which 223 were by non-residents. In 2019, Sri Lanka was ranked 61st in terms of patent applications. We observe that several research initiatives have been commercialized, contributing to public welfare and creating investment opportunities. Therefore, a strong institutional mechanism is needed to mainstream research with commercial potential. To this end, we propose allocating Rs. 1,000 million to establish a fund for the commercialisation of research and innovation.”