Business

ComBank launches LankaPay cards in Sri Lanka

Published

3 years ago

2023/03/31

Dignitaries at the landmark launch of ComBank - LankaPay - JCB credit and debit cards (from left) Koya Sakuma - Executive Vice President of JCB International, Kenneth Zilwa - Chairman LankaPay, Professor Ananda Jayawardane - Chairman Commercial Bank, Sanath Manatunge, the Bank's Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and Channa de Silva - General Manager/Chief Executive Officer LankaPay.

Sri Lanka’s payment cards domain took a giant leap today when the Commercial Bank of Ceylon in collaboration with LankaPay launched a national credit and debit card with international acceptance.This National Card Scheme is an initiative implemented by LankaPay in partnership JCB International Co. Ltd, the Japan-based international card, with over 150 million cardholders around the world.This is the first launch of LankaPay Credit Cards in Sri Lanka and the first time five variants of LankaPay cards — three credits cards and two debit — cards were launched by a Sri Lankan Bank.

LankaPay Card is an internationally accepted card, which is cost-effective and equipped with the latest technology and highest security features. All domestic transactions via LankaPay cards are routed locally and when the cards are used overseas the transactions are routed via the JCB International network. This initiative will ensure that no foreign exchange outflow takes place for any local card transaction, which could potentially save the country a considerable amount of foreign exchange, the Bank said.

The commencement of the issuance of LankaPay cards by Commercial Bank in Sri Lanka was celebrated at an event in Colombo at which senior representatives of Commercial Bank, LankaPay and JCB, emphasised the value of the additional width of the payment options, value-added services and customer choice the new card will offer ComBank cardholders.

LankaPay cards issued in Sri Lanka by Commercial Bank will feature dual interface functionality, enabling both contact and contactless transactions at point-of-sale terminals connected to the LankaPay payment network. The cards can also be used at all automated teller machines (ATMs) linked to the LankaPay platform and over 42,000 merchant points island-wide. The card will enable Sri Lankans to enjoy JCB’s global merchant network comprising of more than 41 million acceptance locations. The Bank will issue LankaPay branded credit cards in the Platinum, Gold and Classic tiers while the debit cards will be in the Platinum and Classic tiers. The debit card will be the first dual interface card in the country where the user can perform both contactless and contact-enabled transactions at any Point of Sale (POS) device.

Speaking at the launch of the ComBank-LankaPay cards, Commercial Bank Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Sanath Manatunge said: “We are delighted to offer LankaPay credit and debit cards under National Card Scheme with both local and global acceptance and support a national initiative which is more pertinent now than ever before. Commercial Bank has been associated with JCB for several years and was one of the first banks in Sri Lanka to acquire both LankaPay Cards and JCB cards under the National Card Scheme. JCB cards have also been accepted at our ATMs for the past four years. We believe that this partnership will further strengthen our relationship with JCB while supporting the national economy at a critical time.”

Speaking at this occasion, LankaPay GM/CEO Channa de Silva said: “The launch of ComBank LankaPay cards in Sri Lanka is a giant leap in furtherance of our quest to empower every Sri Lankan with faster, convenient, secure and affordable payment solutions, thereby creating financially inclusivity. LankaPay is committed to bring best-of-breed solutions to Sri Lanka’s national payment infrastructure and has been at the forefront in revolutionizing the country’s banking and financial services sector by keeping the elements ‘innovation’ and ‘convenience’ at its core. We are delighted to have Commercial Bank aboard to issue LankaPay Credit/Debit cards, which will no doubt give a fresh impetus to this initiative of national significance.”

Representing JCB at the event, the company’s Executive Vice President Mr Koya Sakuma said: “JCB has been the leading credit card company in Japan for 50 years and a global payment brand for 30 years. We provide an unparalleled experience for our partners and their customers. Our flexible approach with our partners allows us to exceed expectations, which in turn, helps customers achieve their aspirations. We are excited to have partnered with LankaPay to issue the first ever LankaPay Credit Card under the national card scheme together with Commercial Bank. We are proud to be a partner in this monumental venture.

Commercial Bank joined the common ATM switch of LankaPay in 2014. In 2019, Commercial Bank on boarded the LankaPay Common POS Switch System and became one of the first banks in Sri Lanka to have its point-of-sale network accept LankaPay cards. Later that year, it upgraded its ATM network to accept JCB cards issued outside Sri Lanka for the withdrawal of cash to service the growing number of tourists and business professionals visiting the country, especially from Asia where JCB has a large number of card members.

A pioneer in the Japanese payment industry, JCB International has been committed to expanding its international presence since 1981. It offers a suite of high-quality products and services that meet the diverse needs of customers worldwide. LankaPay cardholders will also be entitled to enjoy the preferential treatment other JCB customers receive worldwide such as travel discounts and airport lounge services.

As the national payment network that functions under the guidance and supervision of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), LankaPay is considered one of the best Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in the region. The entity is owned by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka along with other licensed public and private commercial banks operating in the country. LankaPay has contributed immensely towards minimising the overall cost structure within the financial sector through a common infrastructure, making digital financial services accessible and affordable to everyone.

Commercial Bank cards are the market leader in Sri Lanka with a market share of over 23%. The Bank offers a variety of credit cards in the Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers and a variety of cards in the premium segment. The cards are equipped with ‘Tap ’n Go’ NFC technology and are backed by a strong NFC Point-of-Sale (POS) network. ComBank Cards offer an exciting array of promotions and offers across all categories and also offer the Max Loyalty Rewards scheme for selected card categories covering both credit and debit cards.

Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon neutral bank, the first Sri Lankan bank to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World and the only Sri Lankan bank to be so listed for 12 years consecutively, Commercial Bank operates a network of 270 branches and 950 automated machines in Sri Lanka. Commercial Bank is the largest lender to Sri Lanka’s SME sector and is a leader in digital innovation in the country’s Banking sector. The Bank’s overseas operations encompass Bangladesh, where the Bank operates 20 outlets; Myanmar, where it has a Microfinance company in Nay Pyi Taw; and the Maldives, where the Bank has a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake.

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Business

ADB-funded Thalaiyadi plant serves as blueprint for vulnerable dry zones in Sri Lanka

Published

12 hours ago

2026/08/31

Thilina Walpola

Thalaiyadi SWRO desalination plant Photo Credit: ADB

Sri Lanka should adopt a diversified water-security strategy, says chief engineer

By Sanath Nanayakkare

For generations, the Jaffna Peninsula has relied almost entirely on an underground freshwater lens. With no major perennial rivers to lean on, the region has long walked a tightrope between water scarcity, seasonal droughts, and a creeping groundwater salinity that has challenged communities across the North. Today, however, a monumental shift is underway along the windswept Vadamaradchi coast.

To understand how Sri Lanka is rewriting its water security playbook, one need only look to the Thalaiyadi Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Plant.

V. Vijayakanth, Chief Engineer of the Jaffna Kilinochchi Water Supply and Sanitation Project (JKWSSP), recently explained the engineering marvels, environmental safeguards, and long-term vision driving this landmark infrastructure project.

“Building a multi-million-gallon desalination plant on an open, deep-sea coastline facing the Indian Ocean was no small feat,” he said.

Vijayakanth noted that the project required extensive marine, geotechnical, and ecological investigations before a single pipe was laid.

“The scale of the marine installation was striking: an intake and outfall system featuring roughly 1,300 metres of large-diameter pipeline, buried two metres beneath the seabed in water depths reaching up to 12 metres. Because ocean work is strictly dictated by nature, the team had to mobilise an excavator-mounted barge from India and execute a complex offshore operation within a very tight window before the onset of the monsoon.”

“One of the greatest historical hurdles of reverse osmosis technology has been its heavy appetite for electricity. To keep operational costs in check, the Thalaiyady plant integrates state-of-the-art isobaric pressure-exchanger energy recovery systems. These devices capture hydraulic energy from the high-pressure brine reject stream and transfer it directly back to the incoming seawater feed – recovering roughly 95% of available energy and slashing power requirements.”

“Environmental stewardship was equally central to the design. To prevent high-salinity discharge from harming the marine ecosystem, the plant utilizes an offshore outfall equipped with specialized diffusers positioned more than 500 metres from the shore. This ensures rapid mixing within a tightly monitored zone, safeguarding local marine life,” he said.

Karaveddi Water Supply Scheme

The impact of the plant is already tangible on the ground. Producing water that meets rigorous national quality standards (SLS 614:2013), the facility feeds into a vast transmission network linked to elevated service reservoirs. These tanks regulate hydraulic pressure across sprawling distribution routes, bringing relief to areas historically plagued by hard, brackish water.

V. Vijayakanth, Chief Engineer of Jaffna Kilinochchi Water Supply and Sanitation Project (JKWSSP)

Currently, about 1,600 households in the Karaveddi Zone are actively connected to the desalinated supply, with water flowing across a regional network stretching from Kodikamam and Jaffna City down to distant island communities like Delft, Kayts and Punguduthivu.

The peninsula’s total daily drinking water demand hovers around 50,000 cubic metres for a population of roughly 600,000. Operating at full capacity, the Thalaiyadi plant yields 24,000 cubic metres per day – meeting nearly half of the region’s current needs.

Yet, planners are already looking decades ahead. Driven by economic development, tourism, and proposed industrial zones like Kankesanthurai, projected potable water requirements for domestic, commercial, and industrial needs are expected to climb from 95,000 cubic metres per day in 2025 to 135,000 by 2045, and 175,000 by 2065. Meeting this future trajectory will require a diversified national strategy combining desalination with surface-water preservation and rainwater harvesting.

When asked whether Sri Lanka should lean exclusively on seawater conversion amid intensifying climate volatility, Vijayakanth emphasised the need for a balanced approach: “Sri Lanka should adopt a diversified water-security strategy, prioritising sustainable surface-water development, groundwater protection, rainwater harvesting, water conservation, treated wastewater reuse and catchment protection. Desalination can complement these sources as a valuable climate-resilient and drought-proof option where appropriate.”

Backed by financial and technical collaboration from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project has given the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) invaluable expertise in advanced desalination management. Crucially, a two-year hands-on training program is ensuring that local technical staff master everything from membrane upkeep to preventive maintenance.

As climate variability accelerates, Thalaiyadi serves as a vital proof-of-concept. While energy-intensive desalination cannot replace conventional freshwater sources everywhere, Vijayakanth emphasises that it stands as an indispensable, drought-proof shield for Sri Lanka’s vulnerable dry zones – turning the ocean itself into a secure foundation for the nation’s future.

Business

Tropic Of Linen takes new form at The Shoppes at City of Dreams

Published

12 hours ago

2026/08/31

Thilina Walpola

From left: Tropic Of Linen Founders Minha Akram and Shukran Salih

Sri Lankan fashion label Tropic Of Linen recently opened the doors to its second boutique, located at The Shoppes at City of Dreams.

For over a decade, linen has formed the core of the brand’s inspiration and business ethos. Its textures, movement, and natural irregularities carry through the striking interior of Tropic Of Linen’s newly opened second store. Large sculptural forms in wind-worn sandstone sit against softer curves, while a grand olive tree anchors the heart of the store, reaching up toward a skylight and giving life to the entire space.

Drawing on her background in fine art and design, co-founder Minha Akram envisioned a layered, sensory interior intended to draw people into the world of Tropic Of Linen and invite them to linger.

Business

ANC Education celebrates ‘Class of 2026’ at graduation ceremony in Colombo

Published

12 hours ago

2026/08/31

Thilina Walpola

The ceremony marked both a conclusion and a new beginning, with ANC celebrating student progress and future success

ANC Education held its 2026 graduation ceremony at BMICH, Colombo, celebrating graduates across multiple programmes. The cohort included 53 BBA graduates from Northwood University, 22 Psychological Sciences graduates from Northern Arizona University, 320 Pearson BTEC HND graduates, and 29 BTEC Level 7 graduates, alongside foundation, diploma, and transfer pathway students. Senior representatives from partner institutions attended.

Best Performer Awards recognised outstanding academic achievement. The event honoured years of hard work and support from families and educators. Since 2002, ANC has provided local and international pathways. Graduates now pursue careers, further studies, or international opportunities.