Business

CBSL, regulatory authority of value transfer service providers

Published

2 years ago

2024/06/14

Currently, institutions providing money transfer services in Sri Lanka such as banks and nonbank financial institutions, are regulated by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) or other relevant authorities to ensure financial system stability. However, some entities providing similar services operate outside the formal system, potentially disrupting the money transfer system and not being subject to Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regulatory framework.

To address this, the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization, and National Policies issued the Money or Value Transfer Service (MVTS) Providers Regulations, No. 1 of 2024 dated April 20, 2024, under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, No. 28 of 2005. Accordingly, effective from June 3, 2024, these regulations require all MVTS providers to be registered and be monitored, offering unregistered or unlicensed MVTS providers the opportunity to formalize their operations and engage in the money transfer business through formal channels.

For the purpose of these Regulations, MVTS is defined as “financial services that involve the acceptance of cash, cheques, other monetary instruments or other stores of value and the payment of a corresponding sum in cash or other forms to a beneficiary by means of communication, message, transfer, or through a clearing network to which the registered

MVTS Provider belongs. Such transactions may involve one or more intermediaries and a final payment to a third party, and may be from place to place, within, to or from Sri Lanka or any other country”.

As per these Regulations, a person shall engage in the business of or function as an MVTS Provider only under the authority and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a Certificate of Registration issued by CBSL. However, any person who is already engaged in or is eligible to engage in the business of or function as an MVTS Provider under any other licence, permit or authorization issued by CBSL, or any other Regulator or Government entity is exempted from the aforementioned regulation.

Further, existing MVTS Providers who are already providing services without any licence, permit or authorization issued by CBSL, or any other Regulator or Government entity shall apply for a Certificate of Registration from CBSL, within one year from the effective date of these Regulations, June 3, 2024.

The key requirements under the Regulations for a person to engage in the business of or function as an MVTS Provider are as follows:

a. Shall be a company registered under the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007 having an unimpaired capital of at least Rupees Twenty Million (20 Mn) or such other amount determined by CBSL.

A company limited by guarantee, an offshore company or an overseas company within the meaning of the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007 is not eligible for registration under these Regulations.

b. Exclusively carry out businesses and activities of an MVTS Provider.

c. Maintain/operate a system or well-defined mechanism for providing MVTS.

An eligible person who intends to engage in the business of an MVTS Provider should submit the duly filled prescribed application to CBSL and obtain a Certificate of Registration. A company issued with such Certificate of Registration will be referred to as a “Registered MVTS Provider” and will be entitled to engage in the business of or function as a MVTS Provider as defined above.

Further, during this business process, transmission of money between Registered MVTS Providers and their Agents shall be by way of bank transfers. Further, they are required to maintain records of Agents, associates, employees engaging in MVTS related activities, and transactions including details of Transmitter, Beneficiary, Agent, the method of transfer, period of safekeeping, etc.

https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/sites/default/files/cbslweb_documents/laws/cdg/psd_reg_2024__1_e.pdf.

For further clarifications, the Payments and Settlements Department of CBSL can be contacted through Tel: 011 2477642or by email:mvts@cbsl.lk.

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Business

Ceylinco Life agent among three global finalists for award

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/27

Thilina Walpola

Ceylinco Life’s Ambalantota branch agent AIP Manjula

Ceylinco Life’s Ambalantota branch agent AIP Manjula has been named one of three global finalists for the prestigious Insurance Agent of the Year award at the 11th Asia Trusted Life Agents & Advisers Awards (ATLAA) 2026.

The recognition places a Sri Lankan insurance professional among the finalists in a regional field spanning South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Ceylinco Life said the achievement reflected the calibre and customer-focused approach of its agency force, while recognising Manjula’s professionalism and commitment to policyholders.

The award evaluates insurance agents on criteria extending beyond sales performance, including ethical conduct, client service, policy persistency, digital adoption, innovative practices and contributions to the insurance industry and community.

The awards are organised by Asia Advisers Network and Asia Insurance Review, with LIMRA as co-organiser. An independent judging and balloting process is monitored by KPMG as the official scrutineer. The judging panel comprises senior insurance executives, association presidents and industry experts from across the Asia-Pacific region.

Business

CEAT Kelani retains AA+ rating for sixth year

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/27

Thilina Walpola

CEAT Kelani Holdings (CKH) has retained its National Long-Term Rating of ‘AA+(lka)’ with a Stable Outlook from Fitch Ratings for the sixth consecutive year, reflecting the company’s financial resilience and leading position in Sri Lanka’s pneumatic tyre market.

The ‘AA+(lka)’ rating, the second-highest on Fitch’s national scale, indicates a very strong capacity to meet financial commitments.

Fitch said CKH’s established market leadership and resilient financial profile remained key strengths, while noting its exposure to price-sensitive, cyclical and highly competitive markets.

The Stable Outlook reflects expectations that the company will maintain its market position despite rising input costs and increasing competition from imported tyres, while preserving adequate credit metrics during periods of weaker earnings and higher investment.

Fitch expects CKH’s established brand, extensive dealer network and adaptive pricing strategies to support its market position. Planned production facility upgrades are also expected to improve product quality, particularly in the radial tyre segment.

The rating agency expects near-term pressure on margins from higher raw material and energy costs but said the company’s low leverage and sound liquidity would provide a cushion.

CKH Chairman Chanaka De Silva said the rating reinforced the company’s focus on disciplined financial management, operational adaptability and long-term investment.

Business

SLT-MOBITEL Enterprise launches Premium Cloud

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/27

Thilina Walpola

Riyaaz Rasheed, CEO, SLT-MOBITEL, and Faiz Shakir, VP Sales – Nutanix, Southern Asia, unveil SLT-MOBITEL Enterprise Premium Cloud Powered by Nutanix to support enterprise digital transformation

SLT-MOBITEL Enterprise, the enterprise services arm of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC, has launched its Premium Cloud service powered by Nutanix, aimed at helping Sri Lankan businesses modernise their IT infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation.

The service was unveiled at the Lanka Tech Summit 2026 held recently at ITC Ratnadipa, Colombo.

The Premium Cloud combines hybrid multi-cloud capabilities with enterprise-grade performance, enabling businesses to run mission-critical workloads, scale cloud deployments and strengthen business continuity through disaster recovery capabilities.

Hosted on SLT-MOBITEL’s Tier III data centre infrastructure, the platform is designed to provide enhanced security, reliability and flexibility while supporting the growing technology requirements of enterprises.

SLT-MOBITEL Enterprise said the platform would also support organisations seeking to adopt AI-ready capabilities and improve the management and performance of IT workloads.

A key feature of the launch was SLT-MOBITEL Enterprise joining the Nutanix Elevate Service Provider Program (NESPP), which the company said made it the first service provider in the region to join the programme.

Powered by Nutanix’s hybrid multicloud platform, the service enables application and data mobility across on-premises environments, public clouds and edge locations.

The company said the partnership combined Nutanix’s cloud technology with SLT-MOBITEL’s local expertise and support, strengthening its multi-cloud portfolio.