Sampath Bank PLC took its first step in getting qualified as an Authorised Person and to be permitted to engage in offshore banking business in and from the area of authority of the Colombo Port City by receiving the Authorised Persons (AP) Licence from Colombo Port City Economic Commission (CPCEC) and Certificate of Registration as an Off-shore Company from the Registrar General of Companies.
This is the first milestone after the receipt of Monetary Board concurrence in 2022 for the issuance of a banking licence to engage in business under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act, No 11 of 2021.
The AP Licence, AP Agreement and Certificate of Registration as an Off-shore Company were presented by Chairman, CPCEC, Dinesh Weerakkody to Chairman, Sampath Bank, Harsha Amarasekera at the office of CPCEC, One Galle Face, Office Tower on December 7. The Bank’s Managing Director, Mrs. Ayodhya Iddawela Perera was also present.
Amarasekera said, “Sampath Bank is geared to facilitate the financial ecosystem within the Colombo Port City by serving investors and businesses from all economics and particularly from the regional economies. This milestone will pave the way forward in the Banks expansion drive for investment in strategic locations by serving international businesses and offering tailor made services backed by state-of-the-art technology, while contributing to the advancement of the national economy”.
Managing Director Mrs. Perera said, “We have designed a range of offshore banking products and services that can elevate Bank’s local presence to global as we focus on new business opportunities being created through Special Economic Zone at Colombo Port City. We started early by serving Investors and Authorised Persons in Colombo Port City foreign currency zone within regulated framework and look forward for facilitation of diversification and bolster a service economy.”
