Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said that the government would introduce an interest free loan scheme to purchase the required equipment that will enable regional correspondents who are registered with the Ministry of Mass Media who work under difficult circumstances to disseminate news, to obtain bank loans up to a maximum of Rs.300, 000 with a100 Percent interest subsidy.
Other Media personnel who are registered with the Ministry of Media will also be supported by granting 50 percent interest subsidy to obtain bank loans up to a maximum of Rs.150, 000 to upgrade the equipment for media related activities. He proposed to allocate Rs. 25 million for this purpose.
Meanwhile, the minister proposed to allocate Rs. 180 million to facilitate the undertaking of programs aimed at improving cooperation, peace and harmony amongst the different ethnicities in the country, especially in the North and East