Sri Lanka, April 1 -- The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has announced a collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to build a Supply Chain Financing (SCF) strategy that will enable the Bank to lend more to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and establish itself as a leading SCF bank in Sri Lanka.

IFC has identified Commercial Bank as a strategic banking institution in Sri Lanka to take the position as a leading SCF bank, given its prominent presence in corporate and business banking and its strategically diversified branch network. Commercial Bank is also the largest lender to the country's SMEs.

SMEs comprise more than 75 percent of enterprises in Sri Lanka and account for 45 percent of employment and 52 percent of the...