Sampath Bank Continues to Engage SMEs on International Trade

Mrs. Shashi Kandambi Jassim, Senior Deputy General Manager - Corporate Banking, Sampath Bank PLC (fourth from left) moderating the panel of speakers at the event (Seated from left - Mr. Tushara Walawedura, Development Officer - Policy & Research, Import & Export Control Department; Mr. D. R. S. Hapuarachchi, Senior Commissioner - Department of Inland Revenue; Mr. Ajith D. Perera, Secretary General - Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry of Sri Lanka; Mrs. Shashi Kandambi Jassim, Senior Deputy General Manager - Corporate Banking, Sampath Bank PLC; Mr. C. S. Achala Chandrasekara, Deputy Director of Customs; Mr. K. G. Jayawardane, Deputy Director of Customs; and Ms. Chathurangi Nuwarapaksha, Assistant Director - North Western Provincial Office, Sri Lanka Export Development Board)

Sampath Bank hosted over 150 representatives of the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector at the latest edition of its “Obe Diyunuwata Ape Maga Penweema” interactive seminars on international trade at the Ranowell Hotel in Kochchikade, Negombo recently.

The Bank’s Trade Services unit has been conducting these knowledge sharing sessions since late 2017 to better address common issues faced by SMEs on imports and exports. Bringing together representatives from the local SME community and related government institutions and trade bodies at these workshops, Sampath Bank also leverages its relationships to connect these businesses with one another as well as other relevant stakeholders.

The panel of speakers at the event included Mr. D. R. S. Hapuarachchi, Senior Commissioner - Department of Inland Revenue; Mr. C. S. Achala Chandrasekara, Deputy Director of Customs; Mr. K. G. Jayawardane, Deputy Director of Customs; Mr. Ajith D. Perera, Secretary General - Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry of Sri Lanka; Ms. Chathurangi Nuwarapaksha, Assistant Director - North Western Provincial Office, Sri Lanka Export Development Board and Mr. Tushara Walawedura, Development Officer - Policy & Research, Import & Export Control Department.

“The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector has always been one of the key drivers of economic growth in the country. Hence, right from our inception, we at Sampath Bank have been working closely with entrepreneurs from the sector, serving as their trusted financial partner, confidant and advisor,” said Mrs. Shashi Kandambi Jassim, Senior Deputy General Manager - Corporate Banking, Sampath Bank PLC. “A reflection of our steadfast commitment to supporting them, the “Obe Diyunuwata Ape Maga Penweema” seminars are yet another means by which we seek to add value to this sector. Lending our support to the country’s drive to achieve a target of $20 billion in exports revenue by 2020, we are delighted to engage with ever more enterprising Sri Lankans through this forum.” 

The Bank has conducted “Obe Diyunuwata Ape Maga Penweema” seminars in Colombo, Galle, Kandy and Negombo and plans to hold such forums in key business centers around the island in 2018.

Established in 1987, Sampath Bank has become a state-of-the-art financial institution that continues to be a market leader today thanks to its constant innovation and customer focused approach to business. Its unique tailor-made solutions, superior services and convenience of access have allowed Sampath Bank to further differentiate itself from the competition, making it the bank of choice for many in Sri Lanka.