September 1st to be declared National Insurance Day
In 2015, the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL) began a journey to gain national recognition to increase thespread of awareness about the value of Insurance.
With the support of the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka (IBSL), the Marketing and Sales Forum ( MSF ) and the IASL sought the Government’s approval to declare the 1st of September National Insurance Day.
Over the past two years the IASL has recognized and celebrated the month of September as, ‘Insurance Awareness Month’. Activation programs, media promotions, competitions etc. are organized and launched throughout the entire month in order to ensure the spread of Life and General Insurance awareness throughout the island.
However, this year will see the entire industry celebrate a day officially dedicated to Insurance in Sri Lanka. The 1st of September 2017 will see leading members of the insurance industry gather at the Independence Arcade in Colombo 07 for the official declaration ceremony of Sri Lanka’s first National Insurance Day.
Presiding over the day’s events as Chief Guest will be the Chairperson of the IBSL, Indrani Sugathadasa. Other dignitaries present will include; the Postmaster General, D.L.P Rohana Abeyratne, the Director General of the IBSL, Damayanthi Fernando, the President of the IASL, Deepthi Lokuarachchi and the CEOS and MDS of Insurance companies in Sri Lanka.
In honour of the occasion a commemorative stamp will be launched on the 1st of September at the ceremony at the Independence Arcade. Prior to the event the stamp will be officially presented to President Maithripala Sirisena on the 31st of August.
The IASL and the MSF have organized an extensive and widespread awareness campaign throughout September, including competitions, sales promotions, media campaigns, activations and numerous other programs.
“Given the very low level of penetration in Sri Lanka, the achievement of our goal to have the 1st of September declared National Insurance Day, is a tremendous achievement. It is a historic event that will be forever remembered among the Insurance community of Sri Lanka as well as the general public. Thus, serving as a means of increasing the influence of the industry and the spread of Insurance awareness throughout Sri Lanka”, stated the Chairman of the MSF, Hashra Weerawardena.
“The primary responsibility of the Insurance advisor is to help people get back on their feet following some form of calamity and loss. However, this task has often proved difficult over the recent years due to the lack of awareness about the value of General and Life Insurance among the public. It is our fervent hope that by naming a day in honor of Insurance and spreading our message of awareness throughout the island, we may see a drastic improvement in the industry”, stated Deepthi Lokuarachchi, the President of the IASL.
Standard Chartered’s Visa Infinite and Srilankan Airlines Standard Chartered Platinum co-branded credit cardholders are in for a very special bonus when they plan their overseas travel.
The bank will enhance the ‘companion flies free’ programme that Visa will bring to cardholders in partnership with Srilankan Airlines by offering a free air ticket for one child to Standard Chartered Visa Infinite and Srilankan Airlines Standard Chartered Platinum co-branded credit cardholders making use of this offer. With this added benefit Standard Chartered credit cardholder companion and child, both may travel with free airfare!
Bingumal Thewarathanthri, Head, Retail Banking, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka commenting on this unique offering said: “In 2008 Standard Chartered and Srilankan Airlines signed an exclusive partnership and introduced the Srilankan Airlines Standard Chartered Platinum co-branded Card. The credit card offers cardholders benefits including Flysmiles, Flysmiles Silver Tier benefits and discounts at hotels worldwide. The Standard Chartered Visa Infinite card brings unique global benefits and eligibility for Hilton Honours Gold status, and the Harrods Black Card. We have taken Visa’s companion flies free program to another level for our cardholders by offering free airfare to a child when the air tickets are purchased using our Visa Infinite or Srilankan Airlines Standard Chartered Platinum co-branded credit cards. We are delighted to reward the valued patronage of our clients with this very appealing travel option.”
The Visa program of companion flies free is on a first-come firstserved basis when two or more air tickets are purchased online using a Visa credit card via www. Srilankan.com. The Visa credit card must be one issued in Sri Lanka and the sales period is from 28 August to 6 September 2017. The travel period will extend up to 31 March 2018, and every day and exotic destinations include Melbourne, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hyderabad, Seychelles and eight more. A minimum of 1000 airfares will be available under this campaign, and the reimbursement of the partner airfare until the allocated quota is utilised.
The Standard Chartered exclusive offer will enhance the Visa campaign by reimbursing the child’s economy return airfare on Srilankan airlines operated flights and for tickets purchased online at www.srilankan.com. The destinations are the same as those on the Visa campaign, and the offer is valid for air tickets purchased during the same period for travel from 28 August 2017 to 31 March 2018. Cardholders must note that only the airfare component will be refunded.