ComBank celebrates Int’l Women’s Day with more than 20 events

Some of the highlights of Commercial Bank’s Women’s Day activities

Commercial Bank of Ceylon is slashing documentation fees on personal loans, home loans and leasing by 50 percent and offering preferential interest rates on these lending instruments throughout March for holders of ‘Anagi’ women’s savings accounts as part of a series of initiatives to celebrate women.

The bank said it has also partnered with more than 60 merchants to offer exclusive discounts of up to 50 percent for customers using their Anagi debit and credit cards to make purchases in March.

Among the other initiatives undertaken by the bank to empower its women customers were Anagi trade fairs and capacity building programmes in 14 regions, resulting in more than 500 women attending workshops and seminars and displaying their products and services at 200 stalls at the trade fairs. About 50 percent of the bank’s SME customers are women.

The trade fairs were held at locations such as Diyatha Uyana Battaramulla, K Zone Moratuwa and the bank’s Kandy, Kurunegala, Chenkalady and Jaffna branches. The capacity building programmes, focusing on financial literacy, business management and digital skills, took place in Colombo, Gampaha, Negombo, Galle, Kaduruwela, Matugama and Kandy.

The bank also collaborated with popular radio stations to provide an opportunity for people to speak on air about the inspiring women in their lives and rewarded them with gifts at Havelock City Mall, One Galle Face Mall and the bank’s Jaffna branch.

The International Women’s Day-linked initiatives encompassed the bank’s women employees as well. A knowledge-sharing session organised exclusively for them featured inspiring insights from renowned women leaders in the industry, including 5Hour International Corporation Chief Operating Officer (Head of APAC) Kasturi Wilson, National Savings Bank General Manager/Chief Executive Officer Shashi Kandambi and veteran banker and former Hatton National Bank Chairperson Aruni Goonetillake. The employees from outstation branches were given the opportunity to join virtually, ensuring widespread participation.