ADVERTORIAL

NDB Bank promotes:

Children’s savings habit

As the Thrift Month begins together with World Children’s Day on October, 1 it is the ideal opportunity for one to make a savings pledge for children.

Saving now even in small amounts, ensures a secure future for children.

The importance of saving for one’s future should be instilled in at an early age with proper guidance. NDB Bank believes that cultivating savings enhances chances for a secure and independent future thereby making the NDB Bank Children’s Savings Account the ideal savings plan for children below 18 years of age.

With a minimal opening deposit of Rs 1,000 one can open an account at any of the NDB Bank branches located islandwide.

As the children’s savings grow they will be rewarded for their interest and dedication. Rewards range from mountain bikes to children’s laptops and even vouchers to purchase selected goods of their choice from Singer outlets.

NDB Bank also offers accountholders who maintain an account balance of over Rs 50,000, Rs 100,000 and Rs 250,000 the choice of either accepting the allocated gift or having the value of the reward credited to his/her account by the bank. NDB Bank believes that these rewards will be an incentive for children to increase their savings with the bank and instil good savings habits for a better future.

NDB Bank’s Children’s Saving Account also offers an attractive interest rate currently up to 9 percent per annum, a free life insurance and permanent disability cover for the parent or guardian, free hospitalisation cover for the child and free standing order payments from the parents account to the child’s account.

The ‘life insurance’ and ‘permanent total disability’ cover will consist of a cover of Rs 50,000 for the parent or guardian of any minor whose account contains a balance of Rs 20,000. Furthermore, if an account holder’s balance exceeds Rs 50,000 the benefits will increase to Rs 100,000. With exciting rewards as an incentive, your children are not merely storing away savings for their future but getting rewards that are of great value to them in exchange. When a child reaches the age of 18, the NDB Bank’s Children’s saving’s account will be converted into a regular savings account to continue saving; by which time the account would have accumulated a considerable amount in savings.

An active participant in all phases of its customers’ lives, NDB Bank strives to give nothing but the best in terms of return and services. Having spread its branch network to the North and East, the bank has reached out to both children and adults in these areas to empower lives by offering them banking facilities suited to provide the best for each individual. NDB Bank is the fastest growing force in the retail-banking sector in the country. With its strength and diversity of resources, NDB Bank offers its customers a wide-ranging portfolio of financial solutions.

Union Assurance, ComBank to promote Bancassurance

Union Assurance PLC launched its Bancassurance operation together with Commercial Bank PLC to provide life insurance solutions targeting the Commercial Bank customer base. Commercial Bank PLC, a benchmark private sector bank in Sri Lanka over the years, with a clear vision has set standards, created an identity and forged a unique trend in the banking industry that has brought recognition and won customers year over year.

With the launch of the Bancassurance initiative, Commercial Bank together with Union Assurance will offer life insurance products based on four main needs viz education, investment, retirement and protection.

“Commercial Bank PLC has an extensive branch network of over 180 branches situated Islandwide. With this network we will be able to take the concept of Bancassurance across the island”, said Union Assurance PLC General Manager Niranjan Nagendra.

This concept is popular world over and will undoubtedly be a winner in the Sri Lankan market, said Nagendra. Commercial Bank customers have shown great interest in this initiative, and during the first three months since Bancassurance was introduced, an encouraging number of bank customers have taken insurance policies. “All that a bank customer has to do is to visit their Commercial Bank branch and our Bancassurance Executives will serve the needs of the customer. Once a policy is purchased, a standing order could be arranged to take care of the rest for a better life protection”, said Nagendra.

Pan Asia in Embilipitiya

Pan Asia Bank opened a branch in Embilipitiya to offer a full range of banking services, located at No. 49, New town, Embilipitiya.

The new branch at Embilipitiya is Pan Asia Bank’s 38th Branch, and complements the bank’s existing network of branches in the Sabaragamuwa province, at Kegalle and Ratnapura.

The bank has embarked upon an ambitious growth plan, with branches opening in other strategic parts of the island. Not only does the branch opening reflect the strength and profits enjoyed by the bank but also illustrate the bank’s rise in market share within the banking sector.

Pan Asia Bank will play a pivotal role in servicing the local industries of Embilipitiya, offering them world class platforms to operate on, which includes a state-of-the-art branch layout to reflect the unwavering commitment and service to the people of the area. The opening of the Embilipitiya branch will undoubtedly add momentum to the local business sector.

Islamic banking and finance:

ZEYLAN Islamic finance programs

ZEYLAN Edu Consultants, conducted a free introductory session on Islamic banking and finance last Sunday at its auditorium.

The event was very successful and was attended by two eminent scholars in the country.

Dr M A M Shukri and Sheikh Mufti Yoosuf Haniffa, who are also Directors of the institute.

A well respected and renowned Islamic banking personality, Azad Zaheed, delivered a lecture on “Islamic banking and finance - a fair financial system” which was well received by the audience. Sabri Abdul Cader, another experienced Islamic banker elaborated on the Islamic banking industry in Sri Lanka and some of the widely provided services by Islamic banks in the country.

LOMC conducts scholarship seminar

LOLC Micro Credit Ltd (LOMC) Divulapitiya Isuru Diriya Centre (IDC) organized a special seminar for the students who sat for the recently concluded Grade 5 scholarship exam, from Divulapitiya and the surrounding areas. This program was conducted to give back to the community they closely work with. More than 100 students from the surrounding areas attended this scholarship examination preparatory seminar which was conducted by Wasantha de Silva, from Dharmashoka Vidyalaya Ambalangoda.

De Silva has over 12 years of experience as an examiner for Grade 5 scholarship exams and is also a leading provider of private tuition for scholarship students. In response to the need of the community, LOMC’s Divulapitiya IDC officials organized this half day educational seminar as its CSR initiative.

LOMC Director/Chief Executive Officer Ravi Tissera said, “For the LOMC family at Divulapitiya this was more than a CSR project. “We gave something back to the community that has been so loyal to us over the past year in operation. We have built a tremendous rapport with the people of the community and so in their hour of need we wanted to do something very useful.

For the children of these communities passing the Grade 5 scholarship exam is a major objective.” “We saw that they needed assistance to develop their examination preparatory skills. Hence, we organized this special education seminar especially for them, with Wasantha de Silva’s guidance. We hope to continue this as a long-term initiative for the children of Divulapitiya”.

Seylan Tikiri Plus launches Kids Banking Day

In its ongoing campaign to further inculcate the time-tested habit of savings, Seylan Bank has declared the last Saturday of every month as Seylan Tikiri Plus “Kids Banking Day”.

On this day, every month, all of Seylan Bank’s 94 branches all over Sri Lanka will take on a festive atmosphere during their working hours from 9.00 am to 12.00 noon.

“All branches will welcome children between the ages of 3 and 15 years to come over with their parents or guardians, or the older ones by themselves, to be a part of the Seylan Tikiri Plus “Kids Banking Day”.

In keeping with the spirit of Seylan Tikiri Plus “Kids Banking Day”, children themselves will make their deposits and learn to operate their accounts under the guidance of the staff of the respective branches.

All branches which operate the Sunday banking service instead of the Saturday banking service will conduct its Seylan Tikiri Plus “Kids Banking Day” on the last Sunday every month.

Seylan Bank Assistant General Manager Marketing Kamal Deshapriya said, “As a responsible corporate citizen, we’re happy to redefine the boundaries of children’s banking with the launch of Seylan Tikiri Plus “Kids Banking Day”.

We have been actively promoting and encouraging the savings habit among all our junior customers throughout the country. The response we’ve had has been encouraging to say the least.”

Children are advised to make their deposits in multiples of Rs 1000 and be in the running for an all-expenses-paid trip to ‘Bangkok Dream World’. Over 20 lucky children will be selected to go on this tour and with both parents per child.

A highly visited amusement park in the Asian region, the Bangkok Dream World has welcomed thousands of children and adults alike and transported them to a Dream World as its name suggests.

Rupavahini State Awards ceremony TV Derana bags four awards TV Derana bagged four awards at the Rupavahini State Awards ceremony held at the Maharagama Youth Centre recently. The ceremony was held under the patronage of Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratna. The awards won were for Best Live Program - Ruwaththi Best Stag Backdrop Design - Chandika Weragama (for Derana Little Star finals); Best Multi-Camera Production - Chathurani Abeysundera (for Derana Little Star) and Best Educational and Cultural Program - Ranjeevani Baddevithana (Hela Bodu Punarudaya)

The award ceremony of Jewellery Design Competition 2010 organized by the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association was held at the BMICH recently. Here, the winner of the competition Sifani Jewellers designer Achini Indika receiving an award from Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa. Deputy Minister Faizer Mustapha and Facets Chairman Chanaka Ellawala look on. Picture by Ruzaik Farook