News
HNBA and HNBGI Celebrate Insurance Month with a Renewed Pledge to Protect
As the nation joins hands to celebrate Insurance Month, HNB Assurance (HNBA) and its fully owned subsidiary, HNB General Insurance (HNBGI), stand at the forefront of the celebrations, highlighting their steadfast commitment to safeguarding the well-being and aspirations of all Sri Lankans. HNBA and HNBGI, two relatively young companies have made impressive strides in terms of growth over the past couple of years, which is a testament to the trust earned by the two companies within a short span of time.
At the heart of this year’s celebration, for both HNBA and HNBGI, lies a focus on innovative insurance offerings that cater to the many requirements and needs of all Sri Lankans. From health to home, travel to trade, savings to investments, both HNBA and HNBGI have crafted solutions that anticipate risks, adjust to changing times and ensure that every policyholder receives the protection they need and deserve.
Mr. Lasitha Wimalaratner, CEO of HNB Assurance, stated “Insurance month is about us as an industry being able to come together and remind ourselves and reaffirm our commitment of the service we offer. As we celebrate and reflect on the importance of insurance, we want our stakeholders and customers at HNB Assurance to experience value and perceive insurance beyond just a transaction. We firmly believe that insurance, as an offering, can be a national service that significantly contributes to the country’s resilience and growth.
This belief has been the driving force behind our continuous efforts towards product innovation and excellence. One remarkable outcome of this commitment is our premium health product, Supreme Health Unlimited, which stands arguably as the best in the market. Furthermore, our remarkable growth in the Advisor and Bancassurance channels have garnered international recognition. We are honored to have secured the Best Bancassurance Award for three consecutive years. While our Innovative Distribution Initiatives have also been acknowledged by Insurance Asia Awards 2023, where we were bestowed with the Most Innovative Distribution Initiative Award. These accolades reinforce our commitment to not only serve and address the insurance needs of our customers but also reshape the industry with groundbreaking initiatives.
Mr. Sithumina Jayasundara, CEO of HNB General Insurance, said, “I believe our role and aim as a company is to provide a sense of security for our customers in an unpredictable world. This is why we continuously develop insurance products that not only offer financial protection but also align with emerging trends. As an industry, it is clear that we have come a long way, especially over the past couple of years, where we have been predominantly driven by technological advancements. I believe HNBGI stands as a prime examples of how a company can adapt, innovate and thrive in today’s digital age, even while confronting tough economic challenges.
As we celebrate Insurance month, I would like to remind myself and all our stakeholders that our responsibility as an organization extends beyond just policy documents. It’s about trust and partnership. This is why we have been able to grow year on year, quarter on quarter at almost twice the industry growth rate. Furthermore, I’m excited to share the news of a new product launch expected later this month, which will revolutionize our motor insurance offering. Lastly, as Sri Lanka strives towards economic recovery, HNBGI remains dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses of all sizes. Our focus is on providing customized insurance offerings that safeguard our customers, whereby enabling our country’s economic growth.
HNB Assurance PLC (HNBA) is one of the fastest growing Insurance Companies in Sri Lanka with a network of 64 branches. HNBA is a Life Insurance company with a rating of ‘A-’ (lka) by Fitch Ratings Lanka for ‘National Insurer Financial Strength Rating’. Following the introduction of the segregation rules by the Insurance Regulator, HNB General Insurance Limited (HNBGI) was created and commenced its operations in January 2015; HNBGI continues to specialize in motor, non-motor and Takaful insurance solutions and is a fully owned subsidiary of HNB Assurance PLC.
HNB General Insurance has been assigned a ‘National Insurer Financial Strength Rating’ of ‘A-’ (lka) by Fitch Ratings Lanka Limited. HNBA is rated within the Top 100 brands and Top 100 companies in Sri Lanka by LMD and HNB Assurance has won international awards for Brand Excellence, Digital Marketing and HR Excellence including the Great Place To Work® Certification, and won many awards for its Annual Reports at award ceremonies organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka.
Three newly appointed foreign Ambassadors to Sri Lanka presented credentials to President Anura Kumara Disanayake today (24) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The newly appointed Ambassadors represent France, State of Palestine and Nepal. Accordingly:
- His Excellency Remi Lambert has been appointed as the Ambassador of France
- His Excellency Ihab I.M. Khalil as the Ambassador of State of Palestine
- His Excellency Dr. Purna Bahadur Nepali as the Ambassador of Nepal
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, along with Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, were also present at the occasion.
State coffers suffered huge losses
A probe conducted by the Auditor General’s Department and the Parliamentary watchdog committee, COPA (Committee on Public Accounts) has revealed that a large number of luxury cars and SUVs have been imported with the help of forged documents that declared them as tractors.
During a recent COPA investigation into the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT), it was disclosed that the files related to the registration of those vehicles had gone missing.
COPA Chairman Aravinda Senaratne pointed out that BMWs and Mercedes-Benz cars had been declared as tractors. A total of 158 such cases had been specifically identified, the COPA said.
At the last COPA meeting, the DMT was instructed to provide details regarding those instances, but the Department has not yet done so. Some officials had already been identified and charged with the fraudulent registration of vehicles, Senaratne said.
“Wrong information about these vehicles has been entered deliberately. Their years of manufacture have been altered. According to our records, whenever an issue is raised, officials claim that the relevant files are missing,” Senaratne stated.
Current Commissioner General of the DMT, Nishantha Weerasinghe, said that those incidents had occurred before he assumed office.
Former DMT Commissioner General Sumith Alahakoon revealed that he had lodged two complaints with the CID. “When I took office, there were about 12 container loads of files flagged for errors. Out of those, 118 files were recovered by internal auditors and submitted to the CID. Thereafter, I was removed from my post,” he said.
The COPA Chairman accused the current DMT Commissioner General and his officials of failing to follow up on the complaints lodged with the CID by his predecessor.
When asked about action taken against the prime suspect in the fraud involving the luxury cars imported as tractors, the current Commissioner General said the suspect had been released due to insufficient evidence. A system analyst had been interdicted as investigators found that the database contained wrong information about vehicle imports.
COPA member MP Chandana Sooriyarachchi remarked that COPA investigations would be meaningless if officials sought to absolve themselves of responsibility simply by claiming that files had gone missing.
Sooriyarachchi said such fraudulent actions had cost the state coffers billions of rupees.The COPA Chairman said all aspects of the case would be thoroughly investigated.
by Saman Indrajith
SLMC General Secretary Nizam Kariapper, MP, yesterday (23) said that the National People’s Power (NPP) government owed an explanation as to why it continued to ignore indiscriminate Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Parliamentarian Kariapper pointed out that a statement, dated March 21, issued by Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry, while expressing deep concern over the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, requested all sides to avoid any action that would lead to further escalation of the situation.
The government statement conveniently failed to mention that Israel killed over 400 civilians and launched a fresh ground offensive in Gaza regardless of the ceasefire in place, lawmaker Kariapper said. The top SLMC official accused the NPP government of remaining silent on US approved slaughter of civilians taking place.
“The majority of victims in the Gaza war were women and children,” MP Kariapper said. If the NPP government lacked the strength to issue a statement that properly dealt with the ground situation, Sri Lanka should have refrained from commenting on the latest developments.
The SJB National List MP said that the Jewish State also launched operations in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon as it sought to exploit the situation to its advantage.
MP Kariapper urged the government to take a principled stand on Israeli military action that so far claimed the lives of over 60,000 people since late 2023.
Israel launched large-scale offensive action after Hamas terrorists killed over 1,200 Israeli civilians in raids carried out in early Oct 2023. Hamas abducted a large number of Israelis and a section of them have been released so far.
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