Business

The National Mediation Programme: A force for women’s rights in Sri Lanka

Published

3 years ago

2023/01/7

Currently, violence against women has become a social issue, as well as a basic human rights issue in various South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka.One of the basic issues related to this problem is the lack of awareness among women about topics such as, what is violence against women? How does it work? What are the consequences? What are ways to prevent it? What are the legal procedures? What is the correct place to direct this question? Another issue related to this topic is the level of secrecy and privacy maintained regarding such issues.

Every woman has the right to her own life, and the right to equality and freedom same as men. Everyone should be under full protection under the law of the country, without any discrimination. It is imperative that all forms of prejudice and discrimination, as well as any inhumane treatment or punishment, should be prohibited.

When it comes to women-related disputes, the proceedings and operations of Mediation Boards should be well-known, as it could be beneficial for women who have found it difficult to access the formal justice system.

The first Community Mediation Boards (CMBs) were established in Sri Lanka in 1990, as per the Mediation Boards Act (No. 72/1988). This was approved with the intention of having key members of society play a role in settling disputes between individuals (which include minor criminal offences, civil, land, and debt issues) in an equal, just, and unbiased manner.

With policy oversight and administrative support from the Ministry of Justice, the National Mediation Programme of Sri Lanka is currently led by the Mediation Boards Commission (MBC) and supported by well-trained volunteer mediators across the island.The Mediation Board Act No.72 of 1988 defines ‘Mediation’ as follows:

“Mediation, as a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), is a course of actions taken to bring about an amicable settlement between the disputants by regular means, with their consent, and whenever practicable, removing the real cause of the grievance to prevent recurrence of the dispute of concern.”

The main objective of setting up Community Mediation Boards (CMBs) across Sri Lanka is to reduce the escalation of local conflicts. This is done by providing the necessary facilities and attaining volunteer-based efforts to focus on resolving disputes from a grassroots level –

ensuring that peace and harmony among communities are maintained. Community Mediation Boards (CMBs) are based around Divisional Secretariat offices located all over the island. The services provided by CMBs are very important, especially for women and marginalised communities.

Under the National Mediation Programme, various disputes and minor offences are often referred to the closest CMB. The chairperson will appoint a Mediation Board with the consent of both parties consisting of three mediators to discuss the relevant issue or dispute. The disputant initiating the dispute is considered as the first party, and the other is considered the second party. Through this mediation process, the relevant dispute is discussed between these two parties, while the three mediators facilitate – making them the third party.

During the process, if one party is a woman and has difficulty in presenting her problem, she is allowed to ask for at least one woman mediator to be present. Additionally, if the problem cannot be stated directly in one session, it can always be presented later.

Using Mediation Boards to solve disputes is an inexpensive option. If a complaint is made through the police or the court, and referred for mediation, then the service will be completely free of charge. In any other case, it would cost Rs 5/-.

A unique feature of the mediation process is the ability for parties to present their disputes by themselves, unlike in a public court of law, where cases are presented by representatives. This allows people to give life to their grievances and express their feelings in front of the Mediation Board.

In terms of privacy at the Mediation Boards, anyone can submit their issues to the Mediation Board in confidence without worrying about privacy. Mediation of disputes will then be carried out with confidentiality. The level of confidentiality is high as the Mediation Board is legally barred from presenting personal statements to a court of law as evidence.

Mediators are typically nominated by the Divisional Secretary or Chairperson of the specific Mediation Board, or nominated by non-government or political organisations, religious leaders, school principals or government officials. They are selected through an interview process and undergo 40 hours of training in mediation techniques and skills.

Mediators seek to understand power imbalances between disputing parties and focus on creating equal power between disputants, as a basis for an effective settlement of a dispute.

Unlike in the adversarial formal court system, the role of the mediator is not to solve the dispute, but rather to help disputants find a win-win solution acceptable to both parties, without deciding who is right or wrong.

For more information about the Community Mediation Board in your area, reach out to your nearest Divisional Secretariat, Gramaseva Niladhari Office or even through the Mediation Boards Commission. Refer your disputes to a Mediation Board. Save your time, effort, and money while opting for a successful fair and impartial mediation!

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Business

MOU between Ceylon and Gujarat’s Chambers of Commerce

Published

19 hours ago

2025/11/16

Thilina Walpola

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on November 13 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to strengthen bilateral trade, investment, and business cooperation between Sri Lanka and Gujarat, a news release from the Sri Lanka High Commission in Delhi said.

The MoU was signed by Chairperson of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Krishan Balendra, and President of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Sandeep R. Engineer.The signing took place during the visit to Gujara of Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India, Mahishini Colonne, marking her first official state-level engagement since assuming office.

The initiative and arrangements leading to the signing were facilitated by Sri Lanka’s Honorary Consul in Gujarat, Rakesh Shah, whose efforts played a key role in bringing the two chambers together.

Under the MoU, the Ceylon Chamber and the GCCI will collaborate to promote business opportunities, facilitate joint ventures and partnerships, organize B2B engagements, and enhance knowledge-sharing between the private sectors of both economies.

“It is hoped that the partnership would also serve to deepen maritime and logistics cooperation and build on the complementarities between Gujarat’s major ports and Sri Lanka’s role as a regional transshipment hub,” the release said.

Both Chambers expressed confidence that the MoU will open new avenues for trade, investment, and sustainable economic cooperation.

Business

SLIC Life partners BASL to offer exclusive retirement plans for legal fraternity

Published

19 hours ago

2025/11/16

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lanka Insurance Life has partnered with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) to launch the “Sri Lanka Insurance Life Rakawarana Retirement Plan,” a tailored retirement solution for legal professionals. This exclusive plan, designed to enhance the financial security of BASL members, offers a guaranteed income after retirement, along with additional protection through Accidental Death Cover. Members can choose a retirement age between 45 and 70 years, with a guaranteed monthly income that increases by 5% annually. They can also receive up to five times their monthly pension as a health benefit each year, with no need for hospital bills. In the event of the policyholder’s death, the beneficiary will continue to receive the annuity and bonuses.

The plan offers flexible payment options (monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or annually) and covers individuals aged 18 to 60, with policy terms ranging from 5 to 40 years. It also includes options for additional benefits like family protection, permanent disability cover, and critical illness coverage.

BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya emphasized the importance of this collaboration in securing members’ financial futures, while Sri Lanka Insurance Life CEO Nalin Subasinghe highlighted the plan’s role in providing tailored financial solutions for the legal community.

Business

ComBank posts impactful 9-month results with strong loan book growth

Published

19 hours ago

2025/11/16

Thilina Walpola

Sharhan Muhseen, Chairman, and Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director/CEO of Commercial Bank.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon group has reported gross income of Rs. 268.49 Bn. and net interest income of Rs. 103.48 Bn. at the end of the third quarter of 2025, with strong year-on-year growth of 34.60% in the loan book and curtailed interest expenses contributing to an impressive nine-month performance.

Comprising of Sri Lanka’s largest private sector bank, its subsidiaries and an associate, the Group reported in a filing with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) that interest income grew by 6.96% to Rs. 221.53 Bn. for the nine months ending 30th September 2025, while interest expenses for the period remained static at Rs. 118.05 Bn. as a result of the lower cost of funds and continuing improvement in the CASA ratio.

Consequently, net interest income at Rs. 103.48 Bn. for the nine months reviewed, grew by 16.30% in contrast to the 11.08% growth in gross income. In the third quarter, gross income grew by 16.37% to Rs. 91.46 Bn., while interest income for the three months improved by 10.35% to Rs. 74.88 Bn., with the loan book growing by 10.14% at a monthly average of Rs. 58.51 Bn.

“Our commitment to lending remains undiminished, because we believe that our capacity to support national economic growth targets must be fully leveraged within prudential limits” said Sharhan Muhseen, Chairman of Commercial Bank. “The group’s performance reflects the impacts of this approach, and we expect similar strong growth in the final quarter of the year, in line with the trajectory of economic and business recovery.”

Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director/CEO of Commercial Bank said the Bank’s ability to sustain growth in the loan book backed by a focus on yield management and cost optimization helped the Bank to post these strong results for the nine months reviewed. He said that the Bank maintained a strong focus on the CASA ratio, which stood at 39.92% as at 30th September 2025, compared to 38.07% at end December 2024 and 39.60% a year ago, helping the Bank to keep the cost of funds under control.

Total operating income increased by 21.41% to Rs. 140.49 Bn. for the nine months while the Group’s impairment charges and other losses for the period declined by 28.21% to Rs. 14.37 Bn., primarily due to the previous year’s figure including an additional provisioning for the Sri Lanka International Sovereign Bonds (SLISBs) held by the Bank. For the third quarter of 2025, the Group reported a total operating income of Rs. 47.74 Bn., an improvement of 24.13%.

The Group posted a net operating income of Rs. 126.13 Bn. for the nine months, reflecting an impressive growth of 31.79%, while keeping operating expenses at Rs. 39.41 Bn., an increase of only 8.00%, resulting in operating profit before taxes on financial services growing by a noteworthy 46.46% to Rs. 86.71 Bn.

Taxes on financial services increased by 50.72% to Rs. 13.36 Bn., leading to Group profit before income tax of Rs. 73.35 Bn. for the nine months with a growth of 45.71%. Income tax increased by 34.71% to Rs. 25.33 Bn., resulting in a net profit of Rs. 48.02 Bn. for the Group during the nine months reviewed, representing an impressive bottom-line growth of 52.27%. The Group reported a net profit of Rs. 16.86 Bn., recording an improvement of 33.38% for the third quarter of the year.

Taken separately, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC reported a profit before tax of Rs. 70.57 Bn. and profit after tax of Rs. 46.02 Bn. for the nine months reviewed, recording growths of 44.83% and 51.51% respectively.

Total assets of the Group increased by Rs 357 Bn. or 12.40% during the nine months to reach Rs. 3.233 Tn., as at 30th September 2025. Asset growth over the preceding 12 months was Rs. 469 Bn. or 16.99%.

The Group’s continued impetus in lending saw gross loans and advances growing by Rs. 381 Bn. or 25.01% over the nine months to Rs. 1.907 Tn., at a monthly average of Rs. 42.39 Bn. Loan book growth over the preceding 12 months was Rs. 490 Bn., with YoY growth of 34.60%, averaging Rs. 40.85 Bn. per month.

Deposits grew by 12.26% to Rs. 2.589 Tn. in the nine months, an increase of Rs. 283 Bn. at an average monthly growth of Rs 31.40 Bn., and recorded YoY growth of 16.27%, with monthly average growth of Rs 30.18 Bn., over the preceding 12 months.

In other key performance indicators, the Bank’s Tier 1 and Total Capital Ratios stood at 13.391% and 17.282% respectively as at 30th September 2025, both comfortably above the statutory minimum ratios applicable for the Bank of 10% and 14% respectively.

In terms of profitability, the Bank’s net interest margin increased to 4.53% for the nine months compared to 4.27% reported at end 2024 and 4.38% a year ago. The Bank’s return on assets (before tax) improved to 3.19% compared to 2.47% a year ago, while the return on equity improved to 21.03% from 17.42% as at 30th September 2024.

The Bank’s cost to income ratio excluding taxes on financial services stood at 27.95%, as against the normalized ratio of 33.85% for 2024, while the figure inclusive of taxes on financial services was 37.69% for the period, in comparison with the normalized ratio of 41.89% for the preceding year, when the effect of the net loss on restructuring of Sri Lanka International Sovereign Bonds is discounted.

In terms of asset quality, the Bank’s impaired loans (Stage 3) ratio improved further to 1.79% compared to 4.08% a year ago, while its impairment (Stage 3) to Stage 3 loans ratio for the reviewed period improved to 71.43%, as against 64.61% as at 31st December 2024 and 53.54% as at 30th September 2024.