Objective, sharing experience:

Chandula at Micro Finance conference

Deputy General Manager (PB&NM) of Hatton National Bank and concurrently the Chairman of the Banking with the Poor (BWTP) Network Chandula Abeywickrema, was invited recently to Vietnam and Jakarta to share his experience on Micro Finance at the Key Micro Finance Forum, on an initiative made by the Foundation for Development Cooperation (FDC) and the Banking with the Poor Network.

The City Group Foundation facilitated Abeywickrema, an expert in micro finance to make a presentation at this forum, through an invitation extended by the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies in Hanoi.

The Vietnam Bank for Social Policies is a State Bank which is one of the largest State banks involved in rural lending, micro finance and other banking activities.

Abeywickrema was able to share his experiences regarding the successful micro finance model in operation at the Hatton National Bank.

During the two day visit to Hanoi the presentation and the views expressed was well received by the officials who expressed the view to adopt some of the good practices followed by the Sri Lankan Commercial Bank.

In August 2008, Vietnam is to host the Asia Micro Finance Forum which will showcase 250 leading micro finance policy makers and practitioners who will gather under the auspices of the Banking with the Poor Network, which will be sponsored by the City Group Foundation and City Bank, Hanoi and facilitated by the Foundation for Development Cooperation, Australia.

Abeywickrema was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Symposium on ‘Linkage and Partnership in Micro Finance’ held in Jakarta, Indonesia from September 5 to 7 which was also facilitated by the FDC and City Group Foundation.