ComBank celebrates Intl Women’s Day with more than 20 events

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon is slashing documentation fees on personal loans, home loans and leasing by 50% and offering preferential interest rates on these lending instruments throughout March for holders of ‘Anagi’ Women’s Savings Accounts as part of a series of initiatives to celebrate women.

The Bank said it has also partnered with more than 60 merchants to offer exclusive discounts of up to 50% for customers using their Anagi Debit and Credit Cards to make purchases in March.

Among the other initiatives undertaken by the Bank to empower its women customers were ‘Anagi’ trade fairs and capacity building programmes in 14 regions, resulting in more than 500 women attending workshops and seminars, and displaying their products and services at 200 stalls at the trade fairs. About 50% of the Bank’s SME customers are women.

The trade fairs were held at locations such as Diyatha Uyana Battaramulla, K Zone Moratuwa and the Bank’s Kandy, Kurunegala, Chenkalady, and Jaffna branches. The capacity building programmes focusing on financial literacy, business management and digital skills took place in Colombo, Gampaha, Negombo, Galle, Kaduruwela, Matugama and Kandy.

The International Women’s Day-linked initiatives encompassed the Bank’s women employees as well. A knowledge-sharing session organised exclusively for them featured inspiring insights from renowned women leaders in the industry, including Kasturi Wilson – Chief Operating Officer (Head of APAC), 5Hour International Corporation; Shashi Kandambi – General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, National Savings Bank and Aruni Goonetillake – veteran banker and former Chairperson, Hatton National Bank. Employees from outstation branches were given the opportunity to join virtually, ensuring widespread participation.