Business
Sampath Bank maintains its sustainable growth trajectory
Sampath Bank produced strong results for the nine months ended 30th September 2021, despite the challenges caused by prolonged impact of the COVID -19 pandemic. Due to the strategic initiatives and target orienting business plans, the Bank was able to steer through volatile economic conditions created by the pandemic to record a sizable 76.4% improvement in profit after taxes, compared with the last year.
Sri Lanka’s third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic which emerged in mid-2021 has been by far the most challenging for the country, since its commencement in March 2020. As in the past, Sampath Bank supported its customers and employees in dealing with the disruption from these difficulties. The Bank’s digitalization strategy continued to prove its worth by ensuring an easier and safer banking experience for customers and enabling employees to seamlessly switch to the work from home environment during the period of lockdown. Further expediting its digitalization strategy in response to the pandemic, the Bank introduced touchless Cash withdrawals at ATMs for the first time in Sri Lanka and possibly the first time in the region. The revolutionary technology of the touchless ATM eliminates the need to physically touch the surface of the ATM, which minimizes the risk of virus transmission to the user through contaminated surfaces, thus proving to be the ideal solution for withdrawing cash from ATMs during the current global COVID-19 pandemic.
To further reiterate its commitment to support customers and help ease their financial burdens during the prolonged economic crisis, the Bank actively engaged in identifying customers who were eligible for the latest cycle (phase IV) of the moratorium announced by the government. Meanwhile, the Bank continues to deliver its commitments to the agriculture sector in continuing its programme by restoring a further three water tanks under the “Wewata Jeewayak” program.
With the pandemic resurfacing from time to time, it is quite likely to remain an ongoing global challenge for the foreseeable future. In the Sri Lankan context, the pandemic related containment measures that have been in place for the past 18 months also appear to be delaying the anticipated economic recovery in 2021 in turn aggravating the pressure on the economy. However, despite these ongoing challenges, it is hoped that the expeditious vaccine rollout program and other containment measures would pave the way for a revival of the Sri Lankan economy in the coming months.
Financial results declared by Sampath Group for the Nine months ended 30th September 2021:
The Bank reported a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 8.98 Bn and profit before tax (PBT) of Rs 12.32 Bn for the period under review, denoting significant growth of 76.4% each over the corresponding period in 2020.
Sampath Bank’s NIM for the reporting period was 3.46%, an improvement of 16 bps compared to the figure reported at the end of 2020.
The Bank recorded a sizable 30.9% increase in fee and commission income during the period, primarily driven by cards, electronic channels and trade-related operations.
Despite the improvement reported in NPL and Stage 3 loans, additional impairment provisions were charged as management overlay to reflect potential credit losses due to the COVID -19 related uncertainty.
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has partnered with PayHere, Sri Lanka’s largest Aggregated Internet Payment Gateway Service, to offer users of its Q+ Payment App a unique, user-friendly and secure eCommerce experience.
Commercial Bank customers can now conveniently pay for their purchases via the Q+ app to over 3300 registered PayHere Online Payment Service enabled merchants. The Bank’s Credit, Debit and Prepaid Card holders who pay through Q+, the fastest-growing QR app in the country, will not be required to tap in their card details as this information is already stored on the app, the Bank said.
Payments to PayHere merchants via the Q+ Online Pay facility will enhance customer convenience as the transaction will only require the entering of users’ mobile numbers registered with the app. Disbursements via Q+ require authentication using a static PIN which ensures the safety and security of transactions, making the Q+ App more secure than a normal card as the customers’ sensitive data is not transmitted to merchant websites.
The inaugural meeting of the GAP Stakeholder Forum was held with the support of the Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme (TAMAP) at the Department of Agriculture in Peradeniya on 17 November 2021. Prof. Udith K Jayasinghe, Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
The Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) programme, introduced by the Department of Agriculture in 2016, was a promising step taken to minimise adverse impacts of agriculture on the ecosystem and human health while meeting steadily rising demand for food. Although the programme had an encouraging start, the overall conversion of farmers to implementing GAP remained low. Over the past six years, 1500 farmers registered as GAP producers out of the 1.8 million farmers in Sri Lanka. To align with the current policy of the Sri Lankan Government to improve ecological friendliness of farming, it is important to transform all production units towards GAP farms.
Studies showed that to achieve this goal, the GAP implementation strategies needed to be updated and infused into the mainstream agriculture, facilitating a quick transformation of the current approach towards a macro-level system. Therefore, the requirement for a rapid strategizing of such an approach followed by periodic review of GAP performance arose. This initiated the need for a stakeholder forum.
The key purpose of the forum is to provide a common platform for key stakeholders to meet in formulating a strategy to mainstream SL GAP, propose a way forward for implementation such recommendations, and to regularly review program performance and adopt remedial action to achieve GAP objectives.
Prof. Udith K Jayasinghe, Secretary Ministry of Agriculture who chaired the Forum in his opening statement commented, “GAP programme has emerged a solution to challenges faced by Sri Lankan agriculture today to improve safety of users and ensuring good environmental performance. Reinforced by facilitating legislation and approved national standards, GAP programme provides a strong foundation towards addressing above concerns.”.
Over forty participants were present at the forum, representing the various stakeholder groups comprising producers, distributers, SL GAP team, academics, and market players. Ms D. S. Ratnasinghe, Addl. Director (Agribusiness) and Dr W. M. W. Weerakoon, National Coordinator outlined the status of the GAP programme and the challenges faced.
The deliberations during the forum were broken down into five main areas: Technical, financial, institutional, and social problems faced by GAP stakeholders on maintaining production, supply, product quality, and consumer trust. Gaps in technology transfer and adoption, marketing and quality control measures and means for increased rate of adoption and GAP farm certification; Gaps in current GAP process and procedures, user friendliness and applicability; Future technological needs towards increasing production, productivity, product quality and ecosystem sustainability; and Policy needs for increased adoption of GAP to mainstream GAP into national agriculture agenda.
Prof. G. Pushpakumara, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya and Ms Jayantha Ilankoon, ADG (Dev) moderated the forum through group activity, outcome presentations and strategic discussions on the way forward.
Concluding the forum, Dr Nihal Atapattu, stated, “TAMAP, along with the European Union that provided the funding support is very pleased to have assisted to launch several interventions that would promote recognition of GAP as a premier means of strengthening Sri Lankan agriculture in sustainably meet requirements of the domestic and export markets. TAMAP expects that the Stakeholder Forum launched today will be a milestone event in advancing GAP to achieve its potential in Sri Lanka”.
HNB has been recognized by Daraz for exceptional contribution to its growth, in an independent endorsement of Sri Lanka’s leading private bank’s commitment to expand e-commerce and digital payments throughout the country.
The award, for the ‘Card Base with Highest Overall Growth’, was presented to HNB at the ‘Daraz Payment Partner Performance Awards 2021’. HNB, which ranks among Daraz’s best banking partners, recorded the highest growth on total payment volume, buyer engagement and total transactions month-on-month, for both credit and debit cards for the year 2020-2021.
“This award is an important validation how the local economy – both businesses and consumers – are benefiting from HNB’s cohesive programme to drive greater adoption of e-commerce and digital payments,” HNB Head of Cards, Gauthami Niranjan said. “These efforts are particularly significant at present, given how digital and contactless payments can assist in reducing the spread of the pandemic and support the Bank’s and the country’s vision to transform Sri Lanka to a cashless economy.”
Currently, HNB Cardholders enjoy multiple offers on Daraz, Sri Lanka’s leading online marketplace, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global e-commerce giant, the Alibaba Group. These include zero-interest instalment plans up to 48 months with attractive discounts for HNB Credit and Debit Cards and 10% off site-wide on Daraz for all HNB Credit Cards on purchases made during Saturdays. In addition, HNB tied up with Daraz for its 11:11 and Black Friday sales, which provided HNB Cardholders access to a range of offers and massive discounts.
HNB has been a pioneer in Sri Lanka’s banking industry in the digital banking and digital payments space. These include the launch of digital wallet and payment app, HNB SOLO and introducing Asia’s first-ever fitness-linked savings product in the form of the HNB FIT Savings Account.
With 254 customer centres across the country, HNB is one of Sri Lanka’s largest, most technologically-innovative banks, having won local and global recognition for its efforts to drive forward a new paradigm in digital banking. HNB has a national rating of AA- (lka) by Fitch Ratings (Lanka) Ltd. The bank was also ranked among the World Top 1,000 Banks list compiled by the prestigious UK-based Banker Magazine for five consecutive years. HNB was also declared Best Sub-Custodian Bank in Sri Lanka at the Global Finance Awards 2020.
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