LankaPay, Sri Lanka’s national payment network, hosted the country’s inaugural cross-border payment symposium in Colombo last week.
The landmark event, organised in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and other travel industry bodies, brought together a gathering of financial leaders, tourism stakeholders, and regional payment network representatives.
The symposium featured discussions on Sri Lanka’s advancements in cross-border payment solutions and their transformative impact on the tourism and financial sectors. Key decision-makers from destination management companies, tour operators, and financial institutions attended the event alongside senior representatives from LankaPay’s global partner networks.
Since launching its global expansion in 2022, LankaPay has set up strategic partnerships with major international payment networks, including NPCI International Payment Limited (NIPL) for UPI payments, Alipay+ and WeChat Pay for cross-border QR payments, UnionPay, International for cross-border ATM and QR payments, JCB International Japan for cross-border ATM and card payments, Mastercard for QR payments under the “pay as a local” initiative, and Discover Financial Services for cross-border ATM acceptance in Sri Lanka.
These collaborations ensure a seamless and convenient payment experience for international visitors while reducing transaction costs for local businesses. At the symposium, several industry experts shared their insights on global payment trends and the role of digital payments in boosting Sri Lanka’s economy.
Presentations were delivered by General Manager of Ant International for Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand and Global Strategic Partnerships at Ant International (Alipay+), Edward Yue, Regional Vice President, APAC, Discover Financial Services, Sandhya Panicker, Consultant to JCB International in Sri Lanka, Lakshman Liyanage, , Manager, Retail and Commerce at Mastercard for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dhanushka Thenabadu, Head, Asia Pacific, NPCI International Payments Ltd, Ms. Sonal Asnani, Head of South Asia, UnionPay International, Binghan Hu and Head of Innovative and Strategic Partnership, Weixin Pay, Southeast Asia at Tencent, Gary Wong.
The highlight of the event was the panel discussion, where industry experts shared insights on regional best practices and strategies for accelerating the adoption of seamless payment solutions.
