The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to advancing women’s empowerment and financial inclusion, by partnering with the National Credit Guarantee Institution Limited (NCGIL) as a Participating Shareholder Institution (PSI) in the newly introduced ‘Liya Shakthi’ credit guarantee scheme, designed to support women-led enterprises across Sri Lanka.

The operational launch of the scheme was marked by the handover of the first loan registration at Commercial Bank’s Head Office recently, symbolising a key step in broadening access to finance for women entrepreneurs.

Representing Commercial Bank at the event were Mrs Mithila Shyamini, Assistant General Manager – Personal Banking, Mr Malika De Silva, Senior Manager – Development Credit Department, and Mr Chathura Dilshan, Executive Officer of the Department. The National Credit Guarantee Institution was represented by Mr Jude Fernando, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr Eranjana Chandradasa, Manager-Guarantee Administration.

‘Liya Shakthi’ is a credit guarantee product introduced by the NCGIL to facilitate greater access to financing for women-led Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that possess viable business models and sound repayment capacity but lack adequate collateral to secure traditional bank loans. Through NCGIL’s credit guarantee mechanism, Commercial Bank will be able to extend credit to a wider segment of women entrepreneurs, furthering its mission to drive inclusive economic growth.

This collaboration enables women-led enterprises to obtain financing at competitive interest rates with the support of specialised credit guarantees, removing one of the most persistent barriers to business expansion. The initiative complements Commercial Bank’s ongoing efforts to strengthen female entrepreneurship through targeted financial solutions, training, and advisory support.

Within its own operations, Commercial Bank has implemented progressive workplace policies that make it one of the country’s most supportive employers for women. Beyond these internal initiatives, the Bank’s ‘Anagi’ Women’s Banking portfolio, developed in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank, offers specialised products such as the Anagi Women’s Savings Account and Anagi Business Loan for Women SMEs. These are complemented by capacity-building and digital literacy programmes designed to strengthen women’s financial independence and business capabilities.

Through partnerships like ‘Liya Shakthi’ and its own initiatives, Commercial Bank continues to demonstrate its belief that when women thrive, economies thrive, cementing its position as a leading force for gender equity and sustainable development in Sri Lanka’s banking sector.

The first Sri Lankan bank with a market capitalisation exceeding US$ 1 billion, Commercial Bank was also the first bank in the country to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World, and has the highest Tier I capital base among all Sri Lankan banks. The Bank is the largest private sector lender in Sri Lanka and the largest lender to the country’s SME sector. Commercial Bank is also a leader in digital innovation and is Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon-neutral bank.

Commercial Bank operates a network of strategically located branches and automated machines island-wide, and has the widest international footprint among Sri Lankan banks, with 20 branches in Bangladesh, a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake in the Maldives, a microfinance company in Myanmar, and a representative office in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The Bank’s fully owned subsidiaries, CBC Finance Ltd. and Commercial Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Limited, also deliver a range of financial services via their own branch networks.

Photo caption: Mrs Mithila Shyamini, Assistant General Manager – Personal Banking at Commercial Bank and Mr Jude Fernando, Chief Executive Officer of the National Credit Guarantee Institution exchange the agreement in the presence of representatives of the two organisations.