Bank of Ceylon celebrates 80th anniversary
The Bank of Ceylon celebrated its 80th anniversary at its Head Office on August 1st, beginning with a ceremony involving all four religions to invoke blessings on the bank. The ceremony took place at the 1st floor of the BOC Tower with the participation of Acting Chairman of the bank, Kumar Mayadunne, P. A. Schaffter Director BOC, General Manager/ CEO Senarath Bandara, members of the corporate and executive management of the bank, customers and well-wishers and the staff.
After initiating its operations at No 41, Bristol Street, Colombo 01 on 1st August 1939, Bank of Ceylon rapidly expanded its branch network across the country and beyond. For eight decades it has been embracing new technologies as it journeyed on. Latest of these technological incorporations has been-digitalization. Currently, the bank is looking ahead to expand its services to the public as it journeys towards its centenary with the new theme ‘Leading the way through innovation’. The QR Code enabled payment system - Bank of Ceylon’s most recent novel product designed by its Electronic Card Division also launched at this ceremony
offering customers greater comfort and a unique payment experience. The General Manager/ceo Senerath Bandara executed the first transaction using this facility. On the same day, Bank’s Human Resources division launched “an online staff loan processing system” to its staff endorsing the digitalization that is taking place within the bank. To celebrate this occasion, BOC’S International division launched an investment planner – PFC Smart Saver where customers could invest in US dollars and Euro. Sustainability Unit of the bank also launched ‘Yalu Para’, a Corporate Social Responsibility (csr) programme in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Police, at this event to educate staff members and the public on maintaining road safety and reducing the vehicle accidents. On this occasion, a pledge was taken by the staff, committing themselves to road safety, as a part of this ‘Yalu Para’ programme.
Bank of Ceylon has been recently awarded the ‘Outstanding Green Commitment Award’ by the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka for the bank’s continuous commitment in expanding its Green Banking practices to minimize the carbon foot print, considering the branches which have been built under ‘Green Banking Concept’, and the contribution made to the national grid through solar panels fixed to the bank buildings and energy saving plan implemented at the Head Office.
Bank of Ceylon Head Office Building was also renamed as ‘BOC Tower’ and its sign was unveiled by the Acting Chairman Kumar Mayadunne and General Manager/ CEO Bandara.
In line with the 80th anniversary commemorative programmes, a blood donation campaign was held on the same day at the head office building and a Pirith ceremony followed by an alms-giving to the Maha Sangha were held on August 2nd and 3rd respectively.