People’s Bank inaugurates new Colombo head office built to green standards

From left: CEO and General Manager Clive Fonseka, Chairman Narada Fernando, Central Bank Governor P. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Director General Public Enterprises Athula Kumara.

Pix by Kithsiri de Mel

State-owned People’s Bank yesterday inaugurated its new head office building, the ‘People’s Tower’.

A key milestone in the lender’s six-decade history, the 22-storey building, located at Dr. Colvin R. de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 2, was opened under the patronage of Central Bank Governor P. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma.

Built in line with green building standards, the new head office includes three basement levels and houses an auditorium, documentation unit, cafeteria, medical centre, and multiple conference rooms. The facility also accommodates the People’s Bank Staff Training College and a Union Place branch equipped with advanced digital banking services.

A commemorative cover and stamp were issued by the Department of Posts to mark the occasion.

The new headquarters replaces the bank’s previous head office at Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, opened in 1977.

Established in 1961, People’s Bank is one of Sri Lanka’s largest financial institutions, with assets exceeding Rs. 3.7 trillion. The bank operates over 750 branches and employs more than 8,000 staff, serving 15.2 million customers nationwide.

A pioneer in digital banking, the bank counts over 3.5 million digital users and provides financing across multiple sectors, including exports, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and tourism.

Chairman Narada Fernando, CEO and General Manager Clive Fonseka, board members, senior management, and customers attended the opening ceremony.