CB urges public to minimise visits to banks, EPF office

The Central Bank (CB) urges the public to minimise visiting the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) office in Colombo while encouraging them to conduct more online banking transactions, as precautionary measures to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19.

As a precautionary measure, the CB yesterday announced that the public services offered by the EPF Department would be curtailed from 17th to 20th of this month.
“Accordingly, the public is advised to refrain or minimise visiting the EPF office in Colombo. However, in the event of an urgent necessity, the EPF has placed drop-boxes outside the Lloyds Building, Sir Baron Jayathilake Mawatha, Colombo 1, to facilitate the public to submit their documents to the EPF Department,” the CB stated. 

Despite the current developments, the CB noted that the real-time gross settlement (RTGS) operations would be continued as usual.

Although banks have been advised to continue their operations, the CB encouraged the public to conduct more online transactions as precautionary measures to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus.