HNB further empowers SME sector with new business card
The local small and medium enterprise (SME) space receives fresh impetus from one of Sri Lanka’s leading bank with the conceptualisation of a business card that facilitates wide ranging transactions to be carried out.
Hatton National Bank (HNB) this week provided the SMES an uplifted platform by launching its innovative business card, an effort towards empowering the sector.
With SMES accounting for more than 50 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, HNB conceptualised this new facility to allow complete digitization and comprehensive, secure management of organisational transactions. HNB’S new business card is launched in partnership with Mastercard.
The business card essentially facilitates the handling of any transaction, local and international and allows business owners entities to conveniently and reliably manage their personal expenses at home or abroad. However, this facility does not accommodate the payment of goods imported for commercial purposes.
According to the bank, the services offered by its new card addresses a number of hurdles faced by the SMES when engaging in transactions, especially online.
The business card will also allow the cardholders to a wide range of special discounts, local and international offers on accommodation, dining and travel with Mastercard, free travel insurance for air tickets purchased through the card, free membership to 850+ airport lounges through Loungekey as well as value additions.
“We have consistently worked to engage with our clients in order to understand their needs and develop products and services capable of levelling the playing field. The launch of the HNB Business Card stands as another important advancement in our vision to catalyse Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurial spirit by streamlining and digitizing cash management,” said HNB Managing Director and CEO Jonathan Alles during the launch event that took place in Colombo.
He added that with the switching over from a manual system to a single digital platform for all transactions, HNB hopes to provide its entrepreneurial customers with complete accountability for all payments noted.
Meanwhile, Mastercard Country Manager Sri Lanka and the Maldives R.B. Santosh Kumar stated that with the new HNB Business Card, the global payment and technology company looks forward to seeing businesses across Sri Lanka avail the convenience, security and transparency offered by such digital payments solutions and transform the way they do business.
The introduction of HNB’S Business Card follows the recent launch of a special new SME Export Credit facility developed in collaboration with the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka (EDB) – the first of its kind in Sri Lanka.
HNB had also previously launched a specially designed integrated e-commerce platform in partnership with e-commerce Software as a Service (Saas) provider, WEBXPAY – a platform which has already won over in excess of 450 merchants across the island.