The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) felicitated Ms. Samudika Jayaratna, the 42nd Auditor General of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, at a special ceremony held on Thursday at the Institute.

The event was organised in recognition of her landmark appointment as the first woman to hold this distinguished constitutional office, as well as her decades of dedicated service to the nation’s public financial governance.

The ceremony reflected the accounting profession’s pride in one of its most accomplished members, who has attained the highest constitutional office in public audit. Ms. Jayaratna was warmly received by the President of CA Sri Lanka, Tishan Subasinghe, Vice President Ms. Anoji de Silva, members of the Council, and Chief Executive Officer Ms. Lakmali Priyangika.

A Fellow Member of CA Sri Lanka, Ms. Jayaratna’s appointment stands as a powerful testament to her exemplary professional journey spanning over 25 years. Her career has been defined by an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity, and the highest standards of public accountability.

The felicitation ceremony drew a large and distinguished gathering, including Chartered Accountants and officials from the National Audit Office.

Commercial Bank of Ceylon, in its commitment to provide secure and world-class technologies to its customers, has further strengthened the security and convenience of online payments for its UnionPay cardholders by becoming the pioneering financial institution in Sri Lanka and the wider South Asian region to introduce advanced 3-D Secure (3DS 2.x) authentication for UnionPay e-commerce transactions.

This milestone makes the UnionPay card a fully empowered e-commerce instrument, enabling cardholders to shop securely at millions of merchants worldwide. The latest addition to the Bank’s robust 3DS-enabled card portfolio ensures that UnionPay users benefit from the same high-level authentication and fraud protection extended across Commercial Bank’s international card offerings.

The enhancement follows the successful integration of UnionPay cards into the Bank’s ComBank Access Control Server (ACS) platform, enabling secure authentication for online payments through UnionPay’s latest 3-D secure protocol.

Kapila Liyanage, AGM Personal Banking and Retail Products at Commercial Bank described this latest development as a reflection of the Bank’s commitment to continuously expand Sri Lanka’s digital payment ecosystem. “The benefits of technology must encompass the widest possible customer base to ensure seamless and secure service anywhere in the world,” he said. “By extending 3D secure authentication to UnionPay cards, we are providing another important segment of our customers with access to global-standard payment solutions.”

Crispin Wijesekera, Country Manager – Sri Lanka & Maldives at UnionPay International, said: “The introduction of 3D secure authentication for UnionPay cardholders by Commercial Bank of Ceylon marks an important milestone in strengthening the security and trust of digital payments in Sri Lanka. As e-commerce continues to grow, enhanced authentication technologies such as 3DS provide cardholders with an additional layer of protection while enabling a smooth and convenient online payment experience.”

“UnionPay remains committed to working closely with our banking partners to continuously enhance payment security standards and expand digital acceptance, ensuring that UnionPay cardholders can transact with confidence both locally and globally,” he added.

The new capability introduces UnionPay-specific Risk-Based Authentication (RBA) on the ACS platform. When a customer makes an online purchase at a participating merchant, the system intelligently evaluates the transaction in real time. Where additional verification is required, the system initiates a step-up authentication process by generating a One-Time Password (OTP), which is securely delivered to the cardholder’s registered mobile number and email through the Bank’s established SMS and email gateways. The cardholder then enters the OTP on the secure ACS interface to authorise the transaction.

Colombo, Sri Lanka – DFCC Bank PLC has partnered with Vision Care Optical Services to extend a range of eye care and wellbeing benefits to DFCC Garusaru Savings Senior Citizen Debit Cardholders, further strengthening the value proposition available to senior customers.

Through the partnership, DFCC Garusaru Debit Cardholders can enjoy discounts of up to 15% on selected Vision Care products, including spectacles, sunglasses, and hearing aids. Cardholders will also be eligible for complimentary eye screening and eye pressure tests at Vision Care outlets island-wide.

The initiative reflects DFCC Bank’s continued efforts to create practical, everyday value for senior citizens through DFCC Garusaru, a savings proposition specifically designed to support customers beyond traditional banking needs.

As Sri Lanka’s population ages and healthcare-related considerations become increasingly important, many senior citizens are seeking products and services that offer greater convenience, accessibility, and support for their overall wellbeing. DFCC Garusaru has been developed with these realities in mind, combining financial benefits with lifestyle and healthcare-related advantages that respond to the needs of customers at this stage of life.

In addition to banking convenience, DFCC Garusaru offers a range of benefits including annual medical cash rewards and access to selected healthcare-related privileges. The latest collaboration with Vision Care further expands this ecosystem by making preventive eye care and vision-related services more accessible to customers across the country.

Vision Care is one of Sri Lanka’s leading providers of vision, hearing, and eyewear solutions, with an extensive island-wide network. Through this partnership, eligible DFCC Garusaru Debit Cardholders can conveniently access these benefits at Vision Care outlets nationwide.

Through initiatives such as these, DFCC Bank continues to strengthen its customer-centric approach to banking by developing propositions that combine financial security, convenience, and everyday value, supporting customers through different stages of life.