All Blogs
Smarter food policy could boost health and economic recovery of Asian cities
Across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of reliable food systems that provide healthy and affordable diets to all. That is true also in Asia where cities, large and small, contend with a wide range of food-related issues on a daily basis but often lack a dedicated or coherent set of […]
Central Bank & IFC launch Sri Lanka’s first National Financial Inclusion Strategy
Sri Lanka’s first National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS), launched today, aims to make financial services more accessible, efficient, and affordable for all households and businesses in the country. The NFIS is a joint effort led by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka—with technical and financial assistance from IFC, a member of the World Bank Group—under […]
Recent volatility on yields of government securities is unwarranted: CBSL
Certain market interest rates, such as yields on government securities, have shown unwarranted volatility recently, which is not in line with monetary policy expectations, the Monetary Board of the Central Bank said announcing its commitment to continue the current accommodative monetary policy stance. The Central Bank reiterates that the high level of excess liquidity in […]
Sampath Bank simplifies cash management for businesses with Visa Business Debit Card
Sampath Bank recently announced the launch of Sri Lanka’s first Visa powered business debit card linked to a corporate account – the Sampath Bank Visa Business Debit Card – to help businesses of all sizes gain more control over their expenses. The Bank’s business customers will now be able to move away from cash and […]
Nations Trust Bank signs MOU with Department for Registration of Persons to enable Digital KYC
Nations Trust Bank and the Department for Registration of Persons (DRP) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), enabling the Bank to digitally verify the customers’ identity through the information held by the DRP upon the consent of the customer. The progressive digital customer verification process will take away the cumbersome traditional Know Your Customer […]
Towards Zero Poverty: Why Effective Targeting of Samurdhi Transfers is Essential
By Lakshila Wanigasinghe The first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere” by 2030. While achieving the goal of zero poverty is a lofty goal for any government, it is profoundly more so for those of developing countries. The high levels of inequalities and resource constraints are the main […]
Cabinet approval to develop Colombo Port WCT as a PPP with Adani, JKH & SLPA
Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal presented by the Port Minister to develop the West Container Terminal (WCT) of the Colombo Port on a Build, Operate and Transfer basis for a period of 35 years as a public-private partnership with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ Consortium) and its local representative John […]
HSBC Sri Lanka bolsters digital banking capabilities to support remote banking
The global pandemic has accelerated the shift to digitization with faster transition journeys and the rapid adoption of digital channels, which will continue into the future. HSBC Sri Lanka, has helped customers navigate and adapt to the changing digital landscape which will be essential for customers to fulfil their banking needs as part of the […]
Transformation of distribution model: How insurance industry needs to prepare for ‘Next Normal’
By Chula Hettiarachchi Across different industries and geographies, COVID-19 has changed the ways people engage with one another. Numerous health regulations—from social distancing to self-quarantine—have been conscientiously imposed by authorities across nations to overcome numerous pandemic-related challenges, even to the extent of shifting a large proportion of physical transactions to digital and remote platforms. This […]
Capitol TwinPeaks forges ahead, amidst industry challenges
Capitol TwinPeaks, the 50-storey twin-tower mixed residential development under the Sanken Group, continues construction for delivery in 2021, amidst several hardships faced by Sri Lanka’s real estate and property industry. With the announcement by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) – Import Section, Chairman, Delano Dias that the import restrictions on nonessential items that were expected […]