Berendina to crown best entrepreneurs

Berendina Micro Investments Company (BMIC) has announced its award programme to recognize outstanding entrepreneurship is slated to be held in November 24 2017 at MAS fabric part, Thulhiriya from 1:00p.m. to 5:30p.m..

Best Entrepreneur Awards, which is organized by Berendina has started in 2002 and held once in every alternative year in order to encourage, develop and appreciate entrepreneur’s developed by Berendina. BMIC work towards eradicating poverty by facilitating access to finance and enterprise development services for those under the poverty line.

Titled ‘Best Entrepreneur Awards 2017’, the contest held for national and regional level under five awarding categories namely ‘Best Small Entrepreneur’, ‘Best Micro Entrepreneur’, ‘Best Upcoming Entrepreneur’, ‘Best Entrepreneur in Agriculture’ and ‘Best Entrepreneur in Animal Husbandry’. 195 entrepreneurs have been nominated for the competition from Kegalle, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa regions.

Berendina Managing Director Anura Athapattu said: “We are proud to note that this is the seventh such event organised by Berendina - Sri Lanka which was implemented every two years continuously. BMI is not just a micro-credit provider as many other MFIs do, we provide much needed ‘credit plus’ services such as training, business advice and marketing support services too for our clients by a dedicated and specialised team of enterprise development officers in each branch office. In the recent past, ‘micro-finance’ term was used to exploit poor by providing loans to poor at exorbitantly high interest rates, with various fees on top of such interest rate and many other unfavourable terms for low income people. BMIC, in contrast provides micro-credit services and many other services at the lowest interest rate among the private and NGO micro-finance providers in the country, without any hidden charges on the loans. We also note that there is no other MFI appreciated, felicitated and motivated for entrepreneurship development among low income people like BMIC is continuously doing.”

BMIC appreciate the commitment, dedication and solidarity put forward by its clients to generate the spirit of entrepreneurship among them complementary to credit and enterprise development services provided by BMIC. The 195 contestant of this year are all winners in their respective business spheres although BMIC awards only the best 25 winners as per the guidelines of the award programme. BMIC congratulates all the award winners who set an example for ‘self reliance’ to thousands of fellow communities facing the challenge of realising their dream of own successful business enterprise.

BMIC Chairman Jagath Godakanda, Managing Director Anura Athapattu, Deputy Managing Director Charith Fernando, BMIC staff and many distinguished invitees including a delegation from Nepal who is in Sri Lanka to learn the BMIC model and replicate it in their country, will be participating for this event.