Monday, 9 September 2013 00:00
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People’s Bank is rewarding its customers who receive remittances through the People’s e-Remittance, swift or telex services with the ‘Rata Salli Vasana’ promotion.
Remittance customers received a daily prize of a mobile phone and a monthly prize of Rs. 25,000 for a period of six months before the grand draw was held in July 2013. Three grand prize winners walked away with prize money worth Rs. 1.75 million courtesy the People’s Bank Overseas Customer Service Unit.
Speaking of the competition, People’s Bank Chief Executive Officer/General Manager N. Vasantha Kumar said: “We are really happy to reward our customers with our Rata Salli Vasana Draw. Remittance is one of our country’s main channels of revenue, therefore we at People’s Bank believe in enabling people that generate this kind of income for our country. Programs such as these allow us to give back to our valued customers.”
The People’s Bank Overseas Customer Service Unit enables banking convenience that is both fast and easy; the ‘Ethera Isura’ NRFC Account from People’s Bank is a special account exclusively for saving and earning interest on your hard-earned foreign exchange. Joint accounts could be opened provided all account holders have the eligibility requirements.
The winner of Rs. 1 million is Kapuru Bandage Anulawathi – her daughter Swarnalatha who has lived in Kuwait for 23 years had opened a People’s Bank NRFC account due to the trust she had with the bank.
“I am so happy for my mother; this money will really help our family. I have been working in Kuwait for a very long time and have been thinking of coming back to Sri Lanka to be with my family, this kind of help from People’s Bank will really help us.”
Anulawathi, a mother of five who was completely touched and surprised by her win, said: “I could not even dream of winning this kind of money, it came as a surprise to me. A few days back the Bank Manager of the Anuradhapura Branch visited our house to inform me that I have won a prize but till I visited the bank this week I did not know that I had won this sum of money. I am eternally grateful to the bank for having selected me as the recipient of the Rs. 1 million. From a very young age I have always banked with People’s Bank and my family and I will definitely continue to bank with them.”
The second place winner of Rs. 500,000 is A.H.G. Siriwardana from Deltota, Kandy District. His wife moved to Saudi Arabia nine years ago to better enable their family life. Siriwardana, who is a farmer, was initially worried when the bank contacted him. He was pleasantly surprised when he heard he has won Rs. 500,000.
He said: “This win is a big shock to me and my wife. We have always banked with People’s Bank and I feel that they are like a part of my family with one of my relatives also working at the bank since leaving school. I am really happy with this reward from People’s Bank and will continue to bank with them, my wife is coming back to the country next year for good and this will help us establish ourselves.”
Suthakaran Vijitha from Batticaloa Town has been banking with People’s Bank for the past four years; her brother Devarajah Kugan, who is based in Kuwait, sends money to her on a monthly basis to provide for their parents. A housewife living with her parents and family 15 km from Batticaloa Town, Vijitha’s family has been affected by much hardship during the war that affected the country. “I am so happy for my family; this win will definitely help us. I initially banked with another bank but I was informed of the offers and services provided by People’s Bank and changed immediately and I can’t believe our luck.”
The Peoples Bank Overseas Customer Service Unit organised the ‘Rata Salli Vasana’ draw. Holding a NRFC account enables customers to remit funds to their accounts freely and income earned on NRFC funds are exempted from income tax. Monthly credit card facilities and granting of loans against the pledge of the NRFC balance are available and monthly interest is accumulated in the currency of savings choice.
Present at the prize giving for ‘Rata Salli Vasana’ were People’s Bank staff, the executive management which included CEO/GM N. Vasantha Kumar, Deputy General Manager (International Banking) Jayantha Newnhella, Chief Manager (Overseas Customer Services) Anoma Madduwa and customers and family members who won the grand draw.
