SLBA Chairman Mr Lakshman Silva making an online address at the inauguration of the website launch
15 June 2021: The Sri Lanka Banks’ Association (SLBA), ‘the voice of banking in Sri Lanka’, is proud to announce the launch of it’s revamped, dynamic website. The site was launched through an on-screen link at a virtual event by the Chief Guest Professor W D Lakshman Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The web-site www.slba.lk is now accessible to the public.
Addressing the gathering Chief Guest Professor W D Lakshman Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka commented “The Central Bank of Sri Lanka recognizes that the contribution and thought leadership provided by SLBA representing the collective effort of the banking industry to preserve the resilience and stability of the sector while spearheading innovation such as sustainable finance initiatives to take the Sri Lankan banking and financial sector to greater heights.
We appreciate the efforts of SLBA in promoting consultation within the banking industry and in maintaining a continuous dialogue with the Central Bank and other stakeholders. In this regard, the website launching today will mark an important milestone for SLBA as well as for the banking sector.
I wish the banking sector will innovate to actively facilitate economic revival and sustainable domestic development.
Among needed innovations, from the point of view of promoting domestic economic/business activities, a rethinking of the current collateral-based lending culture of the banks and looking for alternative businesses – growth friendly project-based lending practices are highly needed. SLBA I hope, will take a leadership role in this process of innovation.”
The overarching goal of the SLBA is to help banks work for the good of the people, by supporting industry participants and regulators in maintaining the overall stability of the monetary and financial system, ensuring economic security.
The new website is expected to be a catalyst for acceleration of such efforts by enhancing the SLBA’s ability to disseminate information and drive multi-stakeholder discussion on topics of importance.
Speaking on the launch of the new website, Lakshman Silva – Chairman, commented, “We are both proud and delighted to launch the new website. The new site showcases the importance we place on modernization and digitization to ensure better communication and engagement amongst the banking industry and all its stakeholders.
This initiative will facilitate a seamless information sharing process to those even outside the sphere of banking – including the general public, and other interested parties. With digitization playing a significant role in adapting to a post-Covid ‘new norm’, SLBA is pleased to contribute to the digital transformation of stakeholder engagement and the sharing of information across the various aspects and operational areas of the banking sector. Digitalization and banking now go hand in hand and this way forward is pivotal for the baking industry to face the multifaceted challenges we are posed with in this new normal”
The SLBA is the industry association for the Sri Lankan banking sector with over 30-member Banks operating in Sri Lanka, and in several other jurisdictions across the world. The SLBA is a company incorporated in Sri Lanka under the Companies Act No. 17 of 1982. The SLBA membership includes at present 24 Licensed Commercial Banks (LCBs) and 6 Licensed Specialized Banks (LSB)s.