Business and SME loan rates in Sri Lanka
Published small and medium business loan rates, read from Bank of Ceylon’s own rates page.
Read from the official page on 14 October 2026
In short
- BOC SME Energizer: 11.50% a year up to Rs. 2 million for start-ups and existing MSMEs, rising to 13.00% up to Rs. 50 million.
- Investment loans (factory, office, machinery) and working capital loans: 14.00% up to Rs. 25 million.
- Self-employment schemes: BOC Mithuru 10.00% and Siriliya Saviya 10.00% up to Rs. 100,000.
- BOC also lists credit schemes funded by the government and other institutions at rates starting from 2.0% a year.
- On Rs. 2 million over five years, 11.50% instead of 13.00% saves about Rs. 91,256 in interest.
How to read these rates
All BOC business rates below are fixed. The amount band decides the rate, and the purpose decides which table applies: trading loans cost more than loans for start-ups and existing MSMEs. BOC takes 0.5% off the SME Energizer rate when the loan is secured by a mortgage over immovable property.
BOC business loan rates
MSME, agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries loans
| Facility | Amount and term | Rate a year |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term cultivation loan | Up to Rs. 500,000; 270 days | 11.00% |
| Short-term cultivation loan | Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 3 Mn; 270 days | 12.00% |
| MSME, fisheries, animal husbandry and agro-related loan | Up to Rs. 2 Mn; 5 years, monthly repayment | 12.00% |
| MSME, fisheries, animal husbandry and agro-related loan | Up to Rs. 10 Mn; 7 years | 13.00% |
| MSME, fisheries, animal husbandry and agro-related loan | Rs. 10 Mn to Rs. 25 Mn; 7 years | 14.00% |
| MSME, fisheries, animal husbandry and agro-related loan | Above Rs. 25 Mn; 7 years | 15.00% |
| BOC Shashreeka | Up to Rs. 10 Mn; 10 years | 13.00% |
| BOC Shashreeka | Rs. 10 Mn to Rs. 25 Mn; 10 years | 14.00% |
| BOC Shashreeka | Above Rs. 25 Mn; 10 years | 15.00% |
Investment and working capital
| Facility | Amount and term | Rate a year |
|---|---|---|
| For investment (building or renovating a factory or office, machinery and equipment) | Up to Rs. 25 Mn; 7 years. Above Rs. 25 Mn: contact the branch | 14.00% |
| For working capital | Up to Rs. 25 Mn; 3 years. Above Rs. 25 Mn: contact the branch | 14.00% |
SME Energizer
| Facility | Amount and term | Rate a year |
|---|---|---|
| Start-ups and existing MSMEs (Category I and II) | Up to Rs. 2 Mn | 11.50% |
| Start-ups and existing MSMEs (Category I and II) | Rs. 2 Mn to Rs. 10 Mn | 12.00% |
| Start-ups and existing MSMEs (Category I and II) | Rs. 10 Mn to Rs. 50 Mn | 13.00% |
| For trading purposes | Up to Rs. 2 Mn | 13.00% |
| For trading purposes | Rs. 2 Mn to Rs. 10 Mn | 13.50% |
| For trading purposes | Rs. 10 Mn to Rs. 25 Mn | 14.50% |
BOC takes 0.5% off the listed rate if the facility is secured by a mortgage over immovable property.
Other SME and development schemes funded by the bank
| Facility | Amount and term | Rate a year |
|---|---|---|
| BOC Mithuru (self-employment) | Not stated by BOC | 10.00% |
| Siriliya Saviya (self-employment) | Up to Rs. 100,000 | 10.00% |
| Siriliya Saviya (self-employment) | Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 2 Mn | 12.00% |
| BOC Ranliya Credit Scheme | Up to Rs. 1 Mn | 10.00% |
| BOC Ranliya Credit Scheme | Rs. 1 Mn to Rs. 10 Mn | 11.00% |
| BOC Ranliya Credit Scheme | Rs. 10 Mn to Rs. 100 Mn | 13.00% |
| Working capital and refurbishment loan for tourism | Not stated by BOC | 13.50% |
| Pledge facility for buying harvest stocks of agricultural products | Reviewed at the start of each quarter | 13.00% |
BOC also lists credit schemes funded by the government and other institutions at rates starting from 2.0% a year.
What the rate means for your instalment
Rs. 2,000,000 over five years (an illustration, not a BOC term): at 11.50% about Rs. 43,985 a month (Rs. 639,113 interest in total); at 13.00% about Rs. 45,506 (Rs. 730,369).
A bank loan or an online loan?
Bank business loans like these cost around 10–15% a year. Online loans cost from 190% APR to over 800% a year and are limited to small amounts, so they are not a way to fund a business. Compare bank personal loan rates.
What this page does not cover
NSB’s published lending-rates page has no business loan section, and Commercial Bank, HNB, Sampath and People’s Bank do not publish rates we could read. We have left them out rather than guess. Ask each bank for its current business loan rate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the interest rate for a business loan in Sri Lanka?
At Bank of Ceylon, published business and SME loan rates run from 10.00% to 15.00% a year, fixed, depending on the amount and purpose. SME Energizer starts at 11.50% up to Rs. 2 million.
Which BOC scheme is best for a start-up?
SME Energizer covers start-ups and existing MSMEs at 11.50% up to Rs. 2 million, 12.00% up to Rs. 10 million and 13.00% up to Rs. 50 million. BOC Mithuru and Siriliya Saviya are for self-employment at 10.00%.
Are there government-funded business loans?
BOC says credit schemes funded by the government and other institutions are available at rates starting from 2.0% a year. Ask a BOC branch which scheme fits your business.
Does collateral lower the rate?
For SME Energizer, BOC takes 0.5% off the listed rate when the facility is secured by a mortgage over immovable property.