HNB concludes prestigious Asian Banker’s Association Conference in Sri Lanka

HNB and ABA delegation

ABA Deputy Secretary Amador Honrado (left) with HNB Acting Chief Executive Officer Damith Pallewatte 

HNB PLC successfully concluded hosting an exclusive Asian Banker’s Association (ABA) short-term visit and conference aimed at fostering global best practices for banks in Sri Lanka and across the Asian region. 

As the only Sri Lankan member of the ABA, HNB served as local facilitators for the landmark event which took place at HNB Towers. 

HNB Acting CEO Damith Pallewatte said: “We are grateful to the ABA, and all visiting delegates and public sector stakeholders for having engaged in this invaluable exchange of ideas and technical insights, all of which have a direct and crucial bearing on our own efforts to develop Sri Lanka’s banking industry to a global standard.” 

Drawing 17 delegates representing leading banks across Taiwan, Nepal, Maldives and Iran, and two senior members of the ABA, the conference was aimed at providing member banks the opportunity to study and undergo training on specific aspects of the operations and facilities of the more advanced host banks.

The two-day program commenced with a series of presentations and knowledge sharing sessions at the HNB Towers on the topics of centralised credit operations, digital transformation, digital channels, and cyber risk management.

“HNB’s centralised credit operations and robust risk management frameworks have been ambitiously designed to set the standard for the Sri Lankan banking industry and stand as key pillars to our continued success. In hosting this ABA visit, we were able to share these critical aspects with our colleagues from the Asian Banking Association and gather insights from their own remarkable advancements in digital transformation. 

 “Such engagements help to foster an environment of mutual learning and growth, which will ultimately benefit the entire Asian region. We are committed to leading by example and contributing to the development of a more resilient and effective banking industry in Sri Lanka,” HNB Deputy General Manager/Chief Credit Officer Nirosh Perera said. 

Delegates were also provided a comprehensive tour showcasing the results of HNB’s own ambitious digital transformation, including site visits to study first-hand the advancements taking place HNB’s Credit Administration Department, Centralised Operations Department, Centre of Aspiration and Contact Centre.

The event also featured a presentation from the CEO of Lanka Clear, who discussed progress made in establishing the digital payments infrastructure of the Sri Lankan economy, through the national Lankapay platform. 

Additionally, the delegates visited the Credit Information Bureau (CRIB) for a presentation at their head office and met with the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) to discuss current insights from Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic revival and the role of banking innovation in consolidating progress made so far.